News
Fury grows over 64% ARF rise
More dentists consider withholding payment in protest
Growing numbers of Scottish dentists are considering with- holding their annual retention fee (ARF) as anger soars over the GDC’s proposed 64 per cent rate increase. The groundswell of opposi-
tion comes as the BDA stepped up its legal action aimed at forcing the GDC to reveal its rationale behind the huge hike in fees. BDA lawyers have now
taken the unprecedented action of initiating a judicial review against the regulator – taking relations between the bodies to a new low. And pressure on the GDC
has been further ramped up with a scathing vote of no confidence passed by the BDA’s General Dental Practice Committee. The GDC plans would see dentists’ fees rise from £576 to £945, the highest fee charged by any comparable healthcare regulator. Dentists will have no choice but to pay, as they must be registered with the GDC in order to practise lawfully. The BDA has recently
revealed evidence showing that barely two in ı0 of its members believe the GDC
Mick Armstrong, chair of the BDA’s Principal Executive Committee
regulates effectively. Mick Armstrong, chair of
the BDA’s Principal Execu- tive Committee, (above) said: “We are taking action because dentists are not prepared to subsidise failure. “Patient safety is best served
by an effective and efficient regulator. But instead, we’ve seen heavy-handed tactics, botched complaints handling and a total absence of account- ability. That’s bad for patients and bad for practitioners. “We have given the General
Dental Council every opportu- nity to demonstrate they have built a reasoned, evidenced and lawful case for this fee
hike. They have chosen not to respond, and now we will leave it to the courts to decide.” One senior member of the
profession in Glasgow, who asked not to be named, said: “The anger among colleagues is unprecedented. More and more are thinking of with- holding their fees in protest.” The GDPC’s resolu-
tion states: “In view of the recent findings of the Profes- sional Standards Authority, the GDPC believes that the General Dental Council is a body no longer fit for purpose to regulate the dental team and protect patients.” Before seeking judi-
cial review, the BDA sent another legal letter to the GDC demanding again that the regulator reveal how the ARF increase was justified. The association called on the GDC to reveal documents passed to accountant KPMG, which has been reviewing the assump- tions underpinning the fee rise. BDA lawyers argue that the
GDC’s commissioning of the KPMG review supports the case that a sufficient or trans- parent justification has not yet been given.
GDC has a fight on its hands VIEWPOINT BY KIERAN FALLON
There is outrage that dentists are already paying the highest annual retention fee ... and now the GDC wants to ramp it up. And there’s also anger that while the GDC
is struggling to balance its books, it is seeking complaints from patients to come directly to it rather than encouraging an internal complaints resolution. People are determined to fight this. In the
past, people have been reluctant to stick their heads above the parapet because it is the GDC.
But now there is a strong feeling that they are quite willing to resist. The BDA has been challenging the GDC to show its proof justifying its actions but it has failed to do so to anyone’s satisfaction. The GDC’s new chair Bill Moyes admitted in
a recent speech that he has no previous experi- ence of dentistry or professional regulation. But despite this, he immediately jumps in, declaring what he plans to do and that he is convinced there is a lot of bad practice going on. He doesn’t seem to have a lot of faith in the dental profession.
SDPC calls for new regulator in Scotland
CRITICISM MOUNTS
Demands have been stepped up for a new regulator in Scotland to replace the much-criticised GDC, as it struggles to cope with the storm over proposed fee increases. In the latest attack on the GDC, the Scottish Dental Practice Committee has now enshrined in policy a motion calling on the government to set up a new governing body north of the border. At a recent committee meeting, members unani- mously passed a motion that read: “The General Dental Council as a body is no longer fit for purpose to regulate the dental team and protect patients. The Scottish Dental Practice Committee would like a Scotland-based regu- latory body which is fit for purpose to be established. The committee has now written to William Moyes, chair of the GDC registering its dissatisfac- tion about the regulator’s performance.
A similar letter has also gone to Alex Neil, MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, and to Margie Taylor, the Chief Dental Officer (Scotland). Robert Donald, chair of the SDPC, said: “The SDPC motion reflects the anger felt by the profession across Scotland, as well as the rest of the UK”. The SDPC’s call for a new regulator in Scotland will now be on the agenda for their next scheduled meeting with the government.
Scottish Dental magazine 7
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