Dr Tariq Drabu Signs Petition Against General Dental Council Fee Increase
(PRWEB) July 11, 2014 -- Dr Tariq Drabu is a Manchester born and educated dentist and specialist oral surgeon. He was one of the youngest dentists to ever graduate in the United Kingdom and is now the owner of the very successful Langley Dental Practice. Dr Drabu spent years working in some of the busiest dental hospitals in the UK and Saudi Arabia before completing his Fellowship in Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Dr Drabu is the Clinical Lead Dentist for the Oral Surgery Clinical Assessment and Treatment Services at NHS Heywood Middleton and Rochdale. He is also an active tutor and mentor to postgraduate dentists in oral surgery at UCLAN Dental Clinic in Preston.
Dr Tariq Drabu was speaking about a recent electronic petition against a proposed 64% increase for dentists for their Annual Retention Fee (ARF) to the General Dental Council. The e petition can be seen here. So far in around 72 hours since it's launch the petition has attracted over 8000 signatures of support.
Dr Tariq Drabu in Manchester said “There has been an outpouring of fury in social media against this utterly scandalous proposal to increase fees. As dentists we pay the General Dental Council an Annual Retention Fee to be on their register and be able to practice. The fee currently stands at £576. The proposal is to increase the fee to £945 per year – that is a 64% increase in fees. I and all the dentists at Langley Dental Practice are happy to lend our support by signing this e petition."
Dr Tariq Drabu went on to say, “I am very concerned that this proposal comes hot on the heels of a critical report in to the GDC by their own regulator the Professional Standards Authority which found serious shortcomings in the GDC Fitness to Practise (FTP) procedures. That report can be found here. We are being asked to fund an organisation that is rapidly proving itself to be not fit for purpose. Last year the Annual Conference of Local Dental Committees passed a motion condemning the appointment of a non-dental professional to chair the council.”
Dr Tariq Drabu closed in saying, “The GDC exists to protect the public and regulate the dental profession. It is there to impose sanctions such as conditions on practise, suspensions and erasure of dental professionals who are seen to be a risk to the public. It needs to start looking at itself as an organisation. It highlights the increasing costs of FTP cases as the reason for the proposed fee increase yet every single FTP case is still heard in London where costs for transport, travel and overnight stays are very expensive. Why in the past 5 years has it not looked at moving these cases out to the regions where it would save money instead of passing the costs on to registrants? I would urge every single registrant to sign the petition and show the depth of feeling against this scandalous proposed fee increase."
About Dr Tariq Drabu
Dr Tariq Drabu is a leading dentist and specialist oral surgeon. This Manchester born and educated dentist was one of the youngest dentists to graduate in the United Kingdom. He has worked at some of the busiest hospitals in the UK and Saudi Arabia and completed his Fellowship in Dental Surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He is the owner of the very successful Langley Dental Practice and is also the Clinical Lead Dentist for the Oral Surgery Clinical Assessment and Treatment Services at NHS Heywood Middleton and Rochdale. Tariq Drabu also teaches and mentors postgraduate dentists in oral surgery at the UCLAN Dental Clinic in Preston.
Tariq Drabu, Tariq Drabu, http://www.tariqdrabu.co.uk, +44 1616432428, [email protected]
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