The chief executive of the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland (MDDUS), Professor Gordon Dickson, is to retire at the end of the year. During his more than ten years at the helm of MDDUS, the company has seen progress and growth with a fund of over half a billion pounds now being managed for its 40,000 members across the UK.
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The British Dental Association (BDA) has announced this morning [October 30th 2014] that its application for ‘rolled-up’ judicial review proceedings against the dental regulator has been granted.
News comes on the day members of the General Dental Council (GDC) will gather to decide on the future of the disputed Annual Retention Fee (ARF).
The review is now confirmed to take place at some point between 1-16 December 2014. These fast-tracked proceedings should enable resolution of the case before dentists are legally required to pay their professional fees on 31 December 2014.
The British Dental Association (BDA) has written to the General Dental Council (GDC) to call on it to reject all three proposed options for a rise in the annual retention fee (ARF) ahead of its meeting on Thursday.
It has outlined six reasons for members to vote against the three tabled proposals, arguing that the GDC has repeatedly altered the methodology and justification for its proposals.
The BDA has revealed the regulator had painted an alarmist and inaccurate picture of rapidly accelerating complaint levels. Documents published in June told consultees that it expected complaints to rise to 3,500 this year – however analysis of figures in a recent KPMG review saw that figure “adjusted downwards throughout the budget process”. The new figure is now 3,000 cases for 2014 – just ten more than the actual activity level for 2013.
Swift Dental Laboratory has acquired the assets of Bolton-based Alpha Zahn Ltd, which traded as Acodent Dental Laboratory. Acodent, which employed 115 staff, announced it was closing on 1 October with the loss of all jobs at the business. The administrators, Mazars, have entered into a trading licence agreement with Swift, enabling Acodent to continue to trade while its future and viability were assessed.
When it meets on October 30 under the chairmanship of William Moyes, the General Dental Council (GDC) will be given three choices for the Annual Retention Fee (ARF) in 2015: £945, £890 or £850. It will also discuss its response to the recent consultation and the auditor’s report. Meanwhile the BDA has raised objections to the GDC taking the money before its legal challenge is heard.
The BDA’s General Dental Practice Committee (GDPC) at its last meeting debated changes to the GDP contract. Chair John Milne updated on discussions with the Department of Health on progress towards contract prototypes. The committee also welcomed the Alternative Contract Reform (ACR) input from LDCs into the debate on contractual change.