The General Dental Council have changed their publication policy on Interim Order decisions. The Dental Professionals Hearings Service has stopped publishing Interim Orders Committee determinations. Instead, the outcome will be published on its website once the hearing or review has taken place. It will include notice of any action taken to protect patients, the public or dental professionals. Notification of any restrictions on registration will still be added to the online register. The shift in policy appears to be in response to concerns about the negative impact of fitness to practise investigations on a registrant’s wellbeing. The Interim Orders Committee is made up of independent panellists who undertake a risk assessment and can impose restrictions on a dental professional’s registration to protect the public during an investigation.

Theresa Thorp, Executive Director, Regulation, at the GDC, said: “By limiting publication to the outcomes and any restrictions on a dental professional’s registration, we aim to maintain public safety and confidence while minimising negative effects on dental professionals while fitness to practise matters are investigated. This change in policy recognises that allegations are untested at an Interim Orders Committee hearing or review because its role is to assess risk and not to determine the facts of a case.”

However, there may be cases in which some discretion is exercised in the public interest or the interests of the parties. The circumstances are likely to be rare but registrants should seek advice if they are concerned about publication. The GDC’s Disclosure and Publications Policy has been updated accordingly.