GDC and CQC website compliance checklist
A UK dental practice website must show the registered name and GDC registration number of every clinician it features, a clear complaints procedure, honest and substantiated claims, and accurate treatment pricing. The title “specialist” may only be used by clinicians on a relevant GDC specialist list, and practices in England must be CQC registered.
- The checklist, item by item
- The four breaches we find most often
- Where the ASA and MHRA also apply
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What must be on the site
The GDC requirements
The GDC’s Guidance on Advertising sets out what a dental practice website is expected to display.
Clinician details. The registered name and GDC registration number of every dental professional featured. This includes dental nurses, hygienists and therapists where they appear, not only dentists.
Complaints procedure. Clear, accessible and explaining how a patient raises a concern and what happens next.
Honest claims. Anything you assert must be accurate and capable of being substantiated. Superlatives such as “the best in London” are objective claims requiring evidence.
Specialist titles. Only clinicians on the relevant GDC specialist list may be described as a specialist in that field. There is no specialist list for cosmetic dentistry or for implant dentistry, which is where most breaches occur.
Pricing. Clear information about the cost of treatment. The GDC expects patients to be able to understand what they will pay.
Registration and ratings
The CQC side
Dental practices in England providing regulated activities must be registered with the CQC. Your registration should be reflected on the website, and if you display a rating it must be current and accurate.
Practices in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland fall under different arrangements, and a site that claims CQC registration for a practice outside England is simply wrong.
In practice
The four breaches we find most often
1. Missing GDC numbers. By some distance the most common. Team pages with photographs, names and qualifications, and no registration numbers.
2. Advertising Botox. Botox is a prescription-only medicine and advertising it to the public is illegal under MHRA rules. Any practice offering facial aesthetics that names the product promotionally on its website is in breach. You may state that you offer facial aesthetic consultations.
3. Incorrect specialist claims. “Specialist in cosmetic dentistry” and “implant specialist” both breach GDC guidance because neither is a GDC specialist list title.
4. Stale team information. A clinician left eighteen months ago and their profile is still live. This is both a compliance issue and a patient-trust one.
Advertising
The ASA and the CAP Code
Everything on your website is advertising for CAP Code purposes. That means before-and-after images must be genuine, representative and not misleadingly retouched, and you need documented patient consent for each.
Testimonials must be genuine and you must hold evidence of them. Since the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, fake or incentivised reviews are a banned commercial practice with penalties reaching 10% of global turnover.
Price claims must be accurate and any conditions must be clear. “From £39” requires that £39 treatment to be genuinely available.
Run this against your site
The checklist
Every clinician shown has their registered name and GDC number visible. Complaints procedure present and findable in two clicks. Full treatment fee list published and current. No use of “specialist” except by clinicians on the relevant GDC list. CQC registration reflected accurately, and only for practices in England. No prescription-only medicine named promotionally. Before-and-after images genuine, with consent recorded. Testimonials genuine, with originals held. No unsubstantiated superlatives. Privacy notice and cookie consent in place under UK GDPR. Team page free of clinicians who have left.
If you would like us to run this against your current site, send us the address. We do it free and we will tell you what we find whether or not you work with us.
Want us to check your own site?
Send us the address and we will run it against everything in this guide, free, within one working day.
FAQs
Common questions
What must be on a UK dental practice website?
The registered name and GDC registration number of every clinician featured, a clear complaints procedure, honest and substantiated claims, and clear treatment pricing. Practices in England must also be CQC registered and reflect that accurately.
Do we have to display GDC numbers on our website?
The GDC’s Guidance on Advertising expects the registered name and registration number of dental professionals to be displayed. It is the single most common omission we find when auditing existing dental sites.
Can we advertise Botox on our dental website?
No. Botox is a prescription-only medicine and advertising prescription-only medicines to the public is illegal under MHRA rules. You may state that you offer facial aesthetic consultations without naming the product promotionally.
Who can be called a specialist?
Only a clinician on the relevant GDC specialist list, for that field. There is no GDC specialist list for cosmetic dentistry or implant dentistry, so those titles cannot properly be used. Describing training and experience accurately is permitted and equally persuasive.
What are the rules on before-and-after photographs?
Under the CAP Code they must be genuine, representative of typical results and not retouched in ways that exaggerate the outcome. You need documented patient consent covering publication on the website for each case.
Can you check our current website?
Yes, free. Send us the address and we will run it against this checklist and tell you what we find, whether or not you go on to work with us.
Enquire now
Tell us about your practice
We come back within one working day with a price and a launch date. No sales sequence.
- A fixed price, not a range that moves later
- A free compliance check of your current site against GDC rules
- An honest view on whether you need a rebuild or just fixes
Prefer to send your content straight over?