ARF remains unchanged for 2021
The annual retention fee (ARF) for 2021 will not change, the General Dental Council (GDC) has confirmed. At a meeting last week, the council made a number of decisions relating to its plans and costs for next year.
“Perhaps most striking,” it said in a statement, “due to the significant uncertainty thrown up by COVID-19 and Brexit, the regulator has planned on the basis of a 10 per cent income risk for 2021 and has accordingly reduced its budget for next year by 6.5 per cent. The annual retention fee will, however, remain unchanged for 2021.”
Ian Brack, GDC Chief Executive and Registrar, said: “COVID-19 has been very challenging for the dental sector and the country is now experiencing the long-expected second wave of the pandemic. This is expected to impact on the professions we regulate, and we do not know how this will affect the register.
“The GDC has no option but to continue to undertake its statutory duties but faces very great uncertainty.
“Some of the risks we face include smaller numbers joining the professions and larger numbers leaving, disruption to the flow of overseas registrants as a consequence of our exit from the EU, and the potential delays in students qualifying to register due to interruptions in education caused by the pandemic.
“In addition to these income risks we have considerable uncertainty in relation to significant elements of expenditure – for example in relation to legislative change relating to overseas registration.
“For these reasons, we have sought to maximise our resilience and the flexibility of our plans whilst continuing to provide certainty for dental professionals in relation to the fee.”
For more information about the decisions, read the post-Council update from Bill Moyes the, GDC Chair
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