PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release: Wednesday, 7 March 2012
Dentists are urged to review their practice websites to ensure they comply with strict new GDC guidance.
UK-wide dental defence organisation MDDUS is advising every practice to check their website includes all relevant and up-to-date information as detailed in the GDC’s Principles of Ethical Advertising.
Under the new rules, practice websites must include a range of information including the dentist’s professional qualification and GDC number, the GDC’s address and contact details, details of the practice’s complaints procedure and the date the website was last updated.
MDDUS welcomes the clarity of the GDC’s website criteria – which came into force on March 1 – in an age where an increasing amount of information is accessed via the web.
The use of a website can help a dental practice communicate with and inform their patients and the new guidance aims to ensure all practice websites are accurate and do not display misleading information, in line with European regulation. The guidance sets out a clear breakdown of what websites should display to ensure they are accurate and accessible.
MDDUS dental adviser Rachael Bell believes the guidance benefits both patients and dentists. She says: “While a website is no substitute for face-to-face contact with patients, the new guidance will help patients as it ensures they are given clear and accurate information that is easy to access.
“For dentists, a website is a useful tool to communicate with their patients as information is now so readily available online and patients are ever more internet literate. Websites can also be a great marketing tool, but exactly what is being offered and to whom needs to be clear and accurate if dentists are to keep themselves in line with the GDC’s guidance.
“Most practices that have websites will already have most of the information that the GDC are asking them to display but it would be beneficial for practices to re-check their websites in light of the new guidance.
“If dental practices are exploring setting up their own website they will now know from the GDC what information must be included.”
The guidance asks for a dentist’s registration number to be clearly displayed as well as their professional qualification and the country from which that qualification is derived.
Other information that must be displayed is the name and address of the practice, contact details including an email address and the GDC’s address or a link to their website. There also needs to be a section giving details of the practice complaints procedure which should include details of who patients can contact if they are not satisfied with the response.
The guidance also states a dental practice website must not display information comparing skills or qualifications with other dental professionals and that all information on the website is updated so it reflects the personnel at the practice and the service offered.
“If a dental practice has a website, it is imperative they keep it as up-to-date as possible as patients have a right to assume all information on the website is accurate,” adds Bell.
As well as websites, the guidance covers advertising services, the use of specialist titles and states all information or publicity material regarding dental services should be legal, decent, honest and truthful.
For full details of the GDC guidance entitled Principles of Ethical Advertising, visit http://www.gdc-uk.org/.
Ends
For further information contact Richard Hendry on 0845 270 2034 or 07976 272266, or email rihendry@mddus.com. We are now on twitter. Follow us @MDDUS_News
Note to editors
MDDUS (The Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland) is a medical and dental defence organisation providing access to professional indemnity and expert medico- and dento-legal advice for doctors, dentists and other healthcare professionals throughout the UK. For further information on MDDUS go to www.mddus.com.
This page was correct at the time of publication. Any guidance is intended as general guidance for members only. If you are a member and need specific advice relating to your own circumstances, please contact one of our advisers.