After the hearing

After you have given your evidence

The chair of the committee will confirm when you have finished and can be released from your duties as a witness, by thanking you for your attendance and your assistance with the case.

When you’ve finished you can either leave or stay to listen to the rest of the hearing, if the hearing is being held in public. If you’re attending in-person you will be shown where to sit. If you choose to leave, the Hearings Support Officer will show you out. If you’re taking part remotely, the Hearing Support Officer will tell you what you need to do to observe the hearing remotely.

We will not refund any extra expenses arising from your decision to stay and observe the rest of the hearing.

When the hearing has concluded

You will be informed of the outcome when the hearing has finished.

If the hearing doesn’t conclude within the scheduled dates, you will be contacted and told when you might expect the outcome. Whatever the outcome, you will be sent a letter explaining the decision.

You may have to attend a hearing again (e.g. if there is adjournment or appeal). This rarely happens and the GDC legal team will let you know if you need to return to give evidence.

Outcomes are published on our website within a few weeks of the decision being made by the committee.

Possible outcomes of a dental hearing

The committee can do any of the following:

1. No impairment: the committee may conclude that the dental professional’s fitness to practise is not currently impaired, and impose no sanction, even when found to be guilty of:
   • misconduct
   • deficient professional performance
   • having a conviction or caution for a criminal offence, or
   • having a health issue that affected their practice.
2. Reprimand: the committee decides to give a reprimand (a statement of their disapproval), but the dental professional is fit to practise with no restrictions on their work. No other action needs to be taken.
3. Conditions: the committee decides that conditions should be applied to the dental professional’s work for a set period of time, such as undertaking further training and providing evidence to support the steps they’re taking to improve. Conditions are usually reviewed within a certain period of time.
4. Suspension: the committee suspends the dental professional’s registration. That means the dental professional cannot perform dentistry for a set period of time. Suspensions are usually reviewed within a certain period of time.
5. Erasure: the most serious course of action a committee can take, as it removes the dental professional from the register, which means they can no longer work in dentistry in the UK. They can reapply to join the register after five years, but must prove that they are fit to practise.