Fitness to Practice

1. Policy Brief & Purpose

Dental Nurse Training has procedures in place to ensure that all learners are eligible to start their training with us, if however we find that ‘fitness to practice’ comes into question during their training then the following protocol will be enforced.
A learners fitness to practice may come into question if they do not follow the GDC’s fitness to practice standards at all times which are:

  • Put patient’s interests first
  • Communicate effectively with patient’s
  • Obtain valid consent
  • Maintain and protect patient’s information
  • Have a clear and effective complaints procedure
  • Work with colleagues in a way that is in patient’s best interests
  • Maintain, develop and work within your professional knowledge and skills
  • Raise concerns if patients are at risk
  • Make sure your personal behaviour maintains patients confidence in you and the dental profession

2. Responsibility

If any of the above are brought to our attention the course director is the appointed person that would conduct investigations into any ‘fitness to practice’ case.

  • The person would be asked to give a full written report on the incident/s in question, any other people involved in the case would also be asked to put their account in writing and this will be reviewed by the course director.
  • All persons involved, the NEBDN and GDC if necessary will be notified in writing/e-mail of the situation as soon as we are made aware.
  • A decision will then be made as to whether the person is still ‘fit to practice’.
  • If the learner is found fit to continue all the relevant paperwork will be compiled into a report, one copy will stay with the training centre, a copy sent to the NEBDN qa@nebdn.org and another passed to the employer to keep on the staff file of the learner in question.
  • If the learners ‘fitness to practice’ is impaired a meeting will be arranged with the training director and the employer to agree on an appropriate course of action. This can result in being given a warning, a suspension or in the most serious of cases being withdrawn from the course.
  • If a staff members ‘fitness to practice’ is impaired a meeting will be arranged with the training director to agree on an appropriate course of action. This can result in being given a warning, a suspension or in the most serious of cases dismissal from the centre.
  • A full investigative report will be compiled and sent to the employer (if applicable), and NEBDN QA team within 30 days. In the case of suspension or expulsion (High Level Concern) the GDC will be automatically notified.
  • All information will be documented and kept in our records for 7 years.