FOREWORD BY DR . TONY KILCOYNE , BDS ; LDS ; MGDSRCS ( ENG .); M . MED . SCI .( U . SHEFF .); FFGDP ( UK )
PROFESSIONALISM – ARE WE EXPECTED TO REACH UNREALISTIC STANDARDS ?
It ’ s an interesting concept Professionalism because we all think we know what it means but it is often difficult to define clearly . We have the simplest definition of being paid for a service , as opposed to doing something voluntarily or as a hobby or loss-maker . That might be a good fit for playing sport or being an IT computer expert , but seems wholly inadequate for Healthcare .
Indeed , our ‘ professional ’ regulator , the GDC has quite a lot to say about what Professionalism in Dentistry means – simplifying it down , Professionalism is about ALWAYS putting others FIRST and what might be best for you SECOND !
That all sounds very nice and laudable , but is it really workable ?
PROFESSIONALISM You see the thing about ‘ Professionalism ’ is that it ’ s a 24-hour expectation of the GDC now . You cannot be that nice dental professional at work that everyone loves and respects 9-5pm , then go out on a Saturday night and be rude or swear at people , let alone behave badly . It ’ s no good saying “ but I was off-duty and it doesn ’ t affect my 9-5pm clinical care or teamworking activities ”, because it ’ s now all about ‘ perception ’ and that applies 24 / 7 , as many GDC FtP cases are starting to show .
So now we creep towards a new Professional definition , an expectation of constant perfection , sainthood or idealism 24 / 7 , where any negative comment or behaviour can get one into serious trouble . This is even being applied more to the use of Social Media , where in a moment of emotion , anger or warped humour , something is posted upon Facebook or Twitter that looked harsh or biased ( a common finding on the internet by many ) to others , but might now be labelled ‘ unprofessional ’ and even be used / abused to make a formal complaint by someone vindictively who , ironically , is not bound by such similar ‘ high ’ professional standards 24 / 7 .
So , should dental professionals withdraw from ‘ normal ’ participation in life and all of its activities and discussions ? Are we now limited from saying what we really think about all kinds of things , from Politics to News items , freely and openly ? Don ’ t dental professionals have Human Rights of expression too ?
Well , yes we do BUT one has to realise , in reality we are being greatly restricted compared to most ‘ ordinary ’ citizens and even other professional groups too , risking being disciplined .
DUTY OF CANDOUR Now GDC Professional standards do have something to help Professionals speak out and warn others PUBLICLY in the public interest , if say systems or individuals are suppressing or compromising patient care or standards ( see later article on Media work ). This looks good on paper but , frequently when ‘ whistleblowers ’ have spoken out publicly in the public interest , too many have suffered personally and professionally for doing the right thing .
Indeed , a recent inquiry found some 30 % of NHS whistleblowers felt ‘ unsafe ’ after acting in the public interest and one has to ask , just what standards are those with power OVER healthcare Professionals ACTIVELY held to ?
Even the GDC itself , our Ethical and
Professional standard-setter , struggles to match the ‘ idealised ’ standards 24 / 7 of its registrants , where the Regulator of Healthcare Regulators , the PSA , has stated the GDC is improving , but is just meeting 7 out of 10 of its standards now – really ?
What would happen to most dental registrants if they were accused of only meeting 70 % of their Professional & Ethical standards – an FtP case with a risk of removal from work forever , from a lot less robust evidence than the PSA produced about the GDC , I ’ d wager .
Of course , there also exists the Nolan Principles of Public life , which declare public body standards in 7 areas : Selflessness , Integrity , Objectivity , Accountability , Openness , Honesty & Leadership . This applies to MPs too , as well as NHS bodies and regulators .
But do you really believe these are being enforced with the same ‘ rigour ’ as our GDC professional standards are being applied to us ? For starters , do you believe such ‘ bodies ’ ALWAYS act Selflessly and put the Public interest first , even before the interests of the ‘ body ’ they work for , or oversee as a director / manager ?
That ’ s just the first Nolan Principle such bodies genuinely struggle to meet , transparently , many would perceive .
So what is THE problem here , those who have power over registered Dental Professionals acting FAR BELOW the Nolan Standards , or ….. Dental Professionals being held to standards that are FAR ABOVE what is realistic to ALWAYS expect even from a dedicated group of human beings ?
The actual answer may well be BOTH generalisations have merit and thus an adjustment is needed to achieve equality and respect , realistically .
Our Professionalism is the best protection the public have – we need a GDC that is focussed upon nurturing , protecting and making this achievable for all , in the public interest first . Make Nolan proud !
REFERENCES : h��� : �������he����d������������e���2015�fe��11��h���h���le�l��e��������ed���ll�ed���d�������d��ed��e��e��fi�d� https :// www . gov . uk / government / publications / the-7-principles-of-public-life / the-7-principles-of-public-life--2
6 Dental Practice Magazine