Abstract
The General Dental Council (GDC) is one of a number of healthcare regulators that manages risk on behalf of the public, in order to protect patients. However, it recognizes that it cannot take decisions on the basis of opinion, anecdote and assumptions about the public's appetite for risk. Basing how it manages risk on how it assesses risk – systematically – is preferable. A risk-based approach better serves the principles of better regulation: proportionality, accountability, consistency, transparency and targeting. The GDC has taken some steps towards this approach, working closely with stakeholders.
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References
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