Blowing the whistle

We in dentistry are a secretive lot and reluctant to be labelled whistle-blowers. Take the ongoing problems at the General Dental Council. Despite a guarded statement from outgoing chair, Alison Lockyear, an excellent article in The Dentist and a Face the Facts radio programme, we really don't know much about what is wrong there.

Why are its Fitness to Practise procedures so criticised? Why do dentists have to pay more? And why was there such a high turnover of personnel, both staff and members, in the past two years? Yes, we know bits, but people there have been reluctant to blow the whistle.

Or take the new contract that is being piloted. We have the hype from the Government about how dreadful the contract was that they inherited from Labour and how wonderful their one will be for patients, dentists and the National Health Service. We have optimistic sounds coming from the British Dental Association.