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  2. About us
  3. Our structure
  4. Representative committees
  5. General Dental Practice
  6. General Dental Practice Committee

The GDPC is the official representative body for GDPs. This means it negotiates with the Government, the NHS and other stakeholders on behalf of dentists working in general practice and is recognised by the Government as the official representative body in negotiations and consultations. 

The GDPC reflects the mixed economy of dental practice and promotes the interests of all GDPs; associates and practice owners, those working in private, mixed or NHS practise, working for a corporate or a traditional practice, and those who are specialist practitioners in primary care.

The GDPC typically meets three times a year. It will also hold additional meetings in exceptional circumstances.

Our priorities 

  • Contract reform: Negotiating a prevention-focused, capitation-based contract
  • Funding and pay: Delivering investment in NHS dentistry to address a decade of cuts and ensuring NHS dentists are fairly paid
  • Recruitment and retention: Addressing the crisis in NHS recruitment and retention through urgent action from Government.

 Our team 

Chair

Shawn Charlwood

Shawn graduated from Birmingham Dental School and has qualifications from the University of Bristol and the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners UK. He owned a large mixed practice and has worked as a Foundation Trainer, holding postgraduate positions at the Manchester Dental School and at the Manchester Royal Infirmary Maxillo-Facial Department, as well as being an officer in the Royal Army Dental Corps TA. He has been on the GDPC for 15 years and is now Chair, he also currently sits on the GDPC-LDC Regional Liaison Group, GDPC Associates Group and the BDA’s Review Body Evidence Committee and the British Dental Guild. He was previously the Chair of Lincolnshire LDC, which he has been a member of for 25 years.
Shawn Charlwood
Vice Chair

Shiv Pabary MBE

Shiv qualified in 1985 from Newcastle Dental School. He is a GDP and has been a provider and owner of several NHS practices in the North-East. He has been the GDPC representative for Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland since 1996. He obtained a Bachelor of Law degree (LLB Hons) in 1995. Shiv is also employed as an Associate Clinical Lecturer, a Clinical Dental Adviser, and a Postgraduate Dental Tutor within Health Education England. He was awarded an MBE in the Queens Honours List in 2009 for services to NHS dentistry locally.
Shiv Pabary
Vice Chair

Vijay Sudra

Vijay Sudra

Get involved and get in touch 

There are 72 directly elected members of the Committee, three members from the LDC Conference, a representative of the Conference of Vocational Training Advisers and several seats for other organisations.

The Chair and Vice-Chair of the BDA's Principal Executive Committee are also non-voting members of the Committee.

 Members are elected for three-year terms. Seats can become available post-election, and by-elections are then held - if you would like to stand, please see if there is a current seat available in your area.

If you would like further information regarding the GDPC please email the Policy Officer for General Dental Practitioners, Nuzha Dissi, nuzha.dissi@bda.org.

Membership list: 2022-2024 Triennium

North England

Midlands and East of England

South England

London

Wales

Northern Ireland

Scotland