Guidance and resources

GDC-issued guidance to fitness to practice committees

• Guidance for the Interim Orders Committee (492.02 KB)
  Decision making guidance for panel members of the Interim Orders Committee.
• Conditions Bank for the Interim Orders Committee (491.83 KB)
  A bank of example conditions and guidance on their use, for the Interim Orders Committee.
• Fitness to Practise Preliminary Meeting Guidance (430.65 KB)
  Decision making guidance for panel members of the practice committees about preliminary meetings which may take place before a substantive hearing.
• Guidance for the Practice Committees (in effect from 6 January 2026) (677.39 KB)
  Decision making guidance for panel members of the practice committees. In effect for all practice committee hearings which began on, or after, Tuesday 6 January 2026.
• Conditions bank for the practice committees (in effect from 6 January 2026) (523.70 KB)
  A bank of example conditions and guidance on their use, for the practice committees. In effect for all practice committee hearings which began on, or after, Tuesday 6 January 2026.
• Guidance for the Practice Committees including Indicative Sanctions Guidance (effective until end of 5 January 2026) (530.94 KB)
  Decision making guidance for panel members of the practice committees. In effect until 5 January 2026. This includes for all hearings that commenced on or before 5 January 2026.
• Conditions bank for the practice committees (effective until end of 5 January 2026) (439.25 KB)
  A bank of example conditions and guidance on their use, for the practice committees. In effect until 5 January 2026. This includes for all hearings that commenced on or before 5 January 2026.
• GDC's Fitness to Practise Glossary of Terms (358.47 KB)
  A glossary of definitions for commonly used terms in decision making guidance, conditions or undertaking banks, and other fitness to practice resources/decision making guidance.

Hearings Service supportive materials for registrants, representatives, and witnesses

• Case Management Procedures (193.93 KB)
  Information to help parties involved in a case to understand Hearings Service processes and arrangements.
• Guidance for dental professionals: Cases referred for an Interim Orders Committee hearing (196.07 KB)
  Information for registrants whose cases have been referred to an Interim Orders Committee hearing.
• Practice Committee (Fitness to Practise Panels) decision-making process (153.78 KB)
  Infographic showing the stages of a practice committee hearing.
• Guidance on admissions made at the preliminary stage of the fitness to practise hearings (108.20 KB)
  Provides guidance on the making of admissions at the outset of a fitness to practise hearing.
• A guide for dental professionals attending a hearing
  Information for dental professionals, and their representatives, who are attending a hearing.
• A guide for witnesses attending a hearing
  Information for witnesses who are attending a hearing.
• Appealing a practice committee outcome decision following a hearing (191.77 KB)
  Information about the right of a registrant to appeal practice committee outcome decisions.
• A guide for dental professionals attending a CPD appeal hearing
  Information for dental professionals, and their representatives, who are attending a continuing professional development (CPD) appeal hearing.
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Appeal Guidance (170.46 KB)

Legislation relevant to a hearing

• Constitution of Committee Rules
• General Dental Council (Continuing Professional Development)(Dentists and Dental Care Professional) Rules Order of Council 2017
• The Dentists Act 1984
• General Dental Council (Fitness to Practise) Rules Order of Council 2006
• General Dental Council (Registration Appeals) Rules Order of Council 2006
• General Dental Council (Fitness to Practise) (Amendment) Rules Order of Council 2016