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GDC ARF payment reminder

We are reminding the profession that the General Dental Council (GDC) is currently collecting dentists' Annual Retention Fee (ARF) for 2023.

Payments must be made by the end of the day on 31 December 2022. If the GDC has not received the payment by that time, you will be taken off the register and will have to go through a process of restoration. This is an administrative procedure due to non-compliance with requirements and there appears to be no leeway at the GDC to allow for flexibility. The process of re-registration typically takes several weeks but appears to be significantly delayed this year with a GDC backlog.

We are urging all dentists to ensure that payments have gone through and to keep evidence of this. If you have set up a direct debit to pay the ARF, check that it has gone out, and contact the GDC if it should have and has not. If you have changed anything about how your payments are collected, check that the new arrangement has worked, and the money has been taken out. If you find that you are receiving reminders from the GDC about the need to pay, make sure you check again. The GDC sends several reminders throughout December to registrants whose payment has not been received, and if you receive this, it is usually not a circular but is aimed to make you aware of an issue with your payment.

You will also have to make your CPD declaration in the coming weeks (by 28 January). Please ensure that you can declare the minimum 10 hours over two years (for example, if you declared 3 hours last year you must declare at least 7 hours this year). If you are coming to the end of your cycle, make sure that you can declare the full number of required hours. If you think you are currently short of the required hours, you can still undertake CPD; any CPD to count towards these declarations must be obtained before 31 December 2022.

Although it is an administrative process (it is not a fitness-to-practise matter), the effects of having to go through the restoration process after being taken off for non-payment or non-compliance with CPD requirements are serious as it can also mean that you will be taken off the performers list (in England and Wales). In addition, registration processing times appear significantly delayed at the GDC currently so there is a risk that it will take months to obtain registration again with detrimental consequences to practices and patients. We advise all dentists to check on payments and CPD urgently so that such issues can be avoided.