Dental student intake faces cut
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- Published: Sunday, 29 November -0001 23:58
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The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has informed dental schools that there will be a 10% cut to student intake targets for 2014/15, across the board. This has not been officially announced, but GDPUK understands that schools are being informed.
Last month the British Dental Association (BDA) warned that the proposed reduction in the number of places to study dentistry at UK institutions must be considered very carefully to ensure that it does not harm patient care. The warning followed reports estimating an over-supply of between 1000 and 4000 dentists by 2040 if the number of places was not reduced.
Dr Judith Husband, Chair of the BDA’s Ethics, Education and the Dental Team Working Group, said the conclusions must be carefully considered and pragmatic, sensible decisions taken about any changes to student numbers. She said: “Although the UK has seen a significant overall improvement to oral health since the 1970s, pronounced regional inequalities persist. Dental students and the taxpayer alike invest significantly in dentists’ training. If workforce planning is to be meaningful, it is also vital that dental students graduating from UK institutions are able to develop careers in the NHS. Matching the available number of foundation training places to the number of dentists being trained is vital to achieving this.”
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