Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) Professionalism, Ethics, Law and Practice Management Syllabus

Professionalism, Ethics, Law and Practice Management syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Professionalism, Ethics, Law and Practice Management in Overseas Registration Exam (ORE), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   GDC Standards and Professional Behaviour

   3 topics

   • Standards for the Dental Team
     • The nine GDC principles
     • Scope of practice and the dental team
   • Fitness to Practise and Professional Accountability
   • Continuing Professional Development and Reflective Practice
2. 2

   Consent, Confidentiality and the Law

   3 topics

   • Valid Consent
     • Montgomery and material risk disclosure
     • Capacity, Mental Capacity Act and Gillick competence
   • Confidentiality and Data Protection
     • UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018
     • Caldicott principles and information sharing
   • Record Keeping and Clinical Documentation
3. 3

   Safeguarding and Equality

   3 topics

   • Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults
   • Recognising and Responding to Abuse and Neglect
   • Equality, Diversity and the Equality Act 2010
4. 4

   Communication and Complaints

   3 topics

   • Patient-Centred Communication and Shared Decision Making
   • Duty of Candour and Complaints Handling
     • Being open after errors
     • Local resolution and escalation routes
   • Working with Interpreters and Diverse Patients
5. 5

   Practice Management and Healthcare Systems

   4 topics

   • Structure of UK Dental Services (NHS and Private)
   • Clinical Governance, Audit and Peer Review
   • Indemnity, Insurance and Risk Management
   • Team Leadership and Delegation

Professionalism, Ethics, Law and Practice Management flashcards for Overseas Registration Exam (ORE)

21 of 50 cards from the Professionalism, Ethics, Law and Practice Management deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What document sets out the standards of conduct, performance and ethics that every dental professional in the UK must meet, and who publishes it?

   The 'Standards for the Dental Team', published by the General Dental Council (GDC). It applies to all registrants (dentists and DCPs).

2. List the nine GDC 'Standards for the Dental Team'.

   1) Put patients' interests first; 2) Communicate effectively with patients; 3) Obtain valid consent; 4) Maintain and protect patients' information; 5) Have a clear and effective complaints procedure; 6) Work with colleagues in patients' best interests; 7) Maintain, develop and work within your professional knowledge and skills; 8) Raise concerns if patients are at risk; 9) Make sure your personal behaviour maintains patients' confidence in the profession.

3. What are the four overarching ethical principles that underpin patient care in dentistry?

   Autonomy (respecting the patient's right to self-determination), Beneficence (acting in the patient's best interest), Non-maleficence (avoiding harm), and Justice (fairness in distributing care and resources).

4. In GDC fitness to practise terms, what is the difference between 'misconduct' and 'deficient professional performance'?

   Misconduct is a serious falling short of expected conduct/ethical standards (a one-off or pattern of behaviour). Deficient professional performance is a persistent failure to meet the required clinical/professional standard of competence over time.

5. What are the possible sanctions a GDC Practice Committee can impose where impaired fitness to practise is found?

   No action, a reprimand, conditions on registration (up to 3 years), suspension (up to 12 months, renewable), or erasure (removal from the register). Interim orders (suspension or conditions) can also be imposed during investigation.

6. What is the statutory basis and regulator for dentists in the UK, and what register must a dentist be on to practise?

   The Dentists Act 1984 establishes the General Dental Council (GDC). A dentist must be entered on the GDC Dentists Register; DCPs must be on the relevant DCP register. Practising while unregistered is a criminal offence.

7. How many hours of verifiable CPD must a GDC-registered dentist complete per five-year cycle, and what is the minimum per year?

   100 hours of verifiable CPD over the 5-year cycle, with a minimum of 10 hours in any consecutive 2-year period (i.e. you cannot do zero across two years). Dental care professionals require 75 hours per cycle.

8. What four 'recommended' (highly recommended) CPD topic areas does the GDC identify for dental professionals?

   Medical emergencies, disinfection and decontamination, radiography and radiation protection, and (formerly) legal/ethical issues and complaints handling. Medical emergencies should be covered each year.

9. Define 'reflective practice' and name a common reflective model used in dentistry.

   Reflective practice is the process of critically analysing one's own experiences and clinical events to learn and improve future performance. A common model is Gibbs' Reflective Cycle: Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion, Action plan.

10. What three elements must be present for consent to be legally valid?

    The patient must be (1) appropriately informed (given sufficient information including risks, benefits and alternatives), (2) have capacity to make the decision, and (3) give consent voluntarily, free from coercion or undue influence.

11. Which UK legal case established that patients must be told about material risks and reasonable alternatives, judged from the patient's perspective?

    Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board (2015). It replaced the doctor-centred Bolam test for consent with a patient-centred 'material risk' standard.

12. Under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, what are the four functional elements a person must be able to do to be deemed to have capacity?

    To have capacity a person must be able to: (1) Understand the information relevant to the decision, (2) Retain that information, (3) Use or weigh that information as part of the decision, and (4) Communicate their decision.

13. State the five statutory principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

    1) Assume capacity unless proven otherwise; 2) Support the person to make their own decision before deeming them unable; 3) An unwise decision does not mean lack of capacity; 4) Anything done for a person lacking capacity must be in their best interests; 5) Choose the least restrictive option of their rights and freedoms.

14. At what age is a young person in England presumed competent to consent to dental treatment, and what term describes a younger child judged competent?

    At 16 a young person is presumed to have capacity to consent (Family Law Reform Act 1969). A child under 16 may consent if assessed as having sufficient understanding ('Gillick competent', from the Gillick/Fraser case).

15. What are the key duties of a dentist regarding confidentiality of patient information under GDC Standard 4?

    Keep patient information secure and confidential at all times, use it only for the purpose given, not disclose without consent except where legally required or in the public interest, and ensure the whole team protects information.

16. Name three circumstances in which a dentist may lawfully disclose confidential patient information without consent.

    When required by law/statute (e.g. notifiable diseases, court order), in the public interest (to prevent serious harm/crime), and for safeguarding a child or vulnerable adult at risk. (Also: regulatory/GDC investigations.)

17. What are the six (lawful basis) principles for processing personal data under the UK GDPR / Data Protection Act 2018 most relevant to dental records?

    Data must be: processed lawfully, fairly and transparently; collected for specified purposes; adequate, relevant and limited (minimised); accurate and up to date; kept no longer than necessary; and processed securely (integrity and confidentiality). A seventh overarching principle is accountability.

18. How long should adult dental records be retained in the UK, and how long for children?

    Adult records: a minimum of 11 years after the last treatment/discharge. For children: until the patient is 25 years old, or 11 years after the last treatment, whichever is longer.

19. What is the time limit for responding to a patient's Subject Access Request (SAR) for their dental records, and can a fee be charged?

    Within one calendar month of receipt. Normally no fee may be charged (it was abolished for routine requests under GDPR), though a 'reasonable fee' may apply to manifestly unfounded, excessive or repeat requests.

20. List at least six items that should be recorded in a complete set of contemporaneous dental clinical records.

    Medical history (updated), social history, presenting complaint, examination findings, radiographs and justification, diagnosis, treatment plan and options discussed, consent obtained, treatment provided (including materials/batch, LA type and dose), advice/instructions given, and the clinician's identity, date and signature.

21. What does 'contemporaneous' mean in record keeping, and why is it important?

    Contemporaneous means records are made at the time of, or immediately after, the event. It is important for accuracy, medico-legal defensibility, continuity of care, and because records altered after the fact (without clear dated amendment) undermine credibility.

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