Continuing professional development (CPD) for ... - Northern Deanery

Continuing professional development (CPD) for Dental Technicians10 frequently asked questions1. How many CPD hours do I have to do?You must complete 150 hours of CPD over the five year cycle. This consists of 50hours Verifiable CPD and 100 hours General, non verifiable CPD2. What is verifiable CPD?An activity which has:Concise educational aims and objectivesClear learning outcomesQuality controlsDocumentary proof (certificate)3. What is general, non verifiable CPD?Activities which are beneficial to your personal professional development but donot satisfy all of the verifiable CPD requirements. These may include some of thefollowing:Distance learningPrivate studyJournal readingMultimedia learning4. What are the recommended core subjects for technicians?Medical emergencies (at least 10 hours per CPD cycle)Disinfection control and decontamination (at least 5 hours per CPD cycle)Materials and equipment (at least 5 hours per CPD cycle)In addition the GDC recommends that all DCP’s working in a clinical environmentshould carry out CPD to make sure they are up to date in legal and ethical issuesand handling complaints.5. What if I don’t comply with CPD requirements?If you do not comply with CPD requirements, you will be removed from the GDCregister and you will not be able to work as a Dental Care Professional anywherein the UK.6. What if I finish all my CPD hours in 3 years?Completing all your CPD in 3 years will not demonstrate that you have kept up todate with your continuing professional development.7. I have attended a course in Germany, does this count as verifiable CPD?If the activity meets with the educational criteria for verifiable CPD and you receivea certificate from the course provider you may count this as verifiable CPD.

8. Who is responsible for paying my annual retention fee (ARF)?It is the responsibility of the individual registrant to pay their annual retention fee9. I’m a dental technician and don’t work directly with patients so why do Ineed to pay the annual retention fee?Every team member has a responsibility to the patient who is being treated. Forexample a dental technician produces appliances which can directly affect thewell-being of that patient – even if they never meet face-to-face. They also haveresponsibilities to other dental team members to ensure patients interests are putfirst.10. How does the GDC check that I’m meeting CPD requirements?At the end of each five year cycle, the GDC carry out a CPD audit. As part of thisaudit, they may ask you to send them your full CPD records, includingdocumentary proof of your verifiable CPD (certificates)