MyGDCRegulatory reform at the GDC
UK government legislative reform programme
The UK government is currently working on a legislative reform programme for all healthcare professional regulators, including the GDC. The work began in March 2021.
The first step was to bring physician associates and anaesthesia associates into regulation under the General Medical Council (GMC). The reforms were approved in December 2024, following a public consultation. The proposed legislation was presented as a template for reform for all professional healthcare regulators. Our response to the consultation can be reviewed online.
The next step is to reform of the GMC legislative framework. Like the previous consultation, the proposals issued by the government were presented as a template for future reform. We submitted a response to these updated proposals. The consultation closed in July 2026, and we are awaiting the outcome.
We have been calling for comprehensive reform for some years now to unlock the prescriptive and outdated legislation under which we currently operate. We have welcomed the intent to introduce a flexible framework, and the template for reform is now taking shape, although sector specific considerations remain. The proposed template does not yet give an indication of the approach policy makers will take on issues specific to dentistry.
The timetable for full scale reform remains uncertain, but it is at least several years away. We will continue to press for regulatory reform to accelerate, with the support of our stakeholders.