The Professional Services Authority (PSA) has published its review for 2015-16. From this year it will publish separate reviews for all nine regulators, to be published individually. The Review of the GDC starts for this year starts in July. The PSA was questioned on its report by the Health Select Committee on July 5, but there was no significant mention of the GDC.
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Regular consumption of sports drinks by children, for social reasons, could be having a detrimental effect on their health concludes the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (FSEM) UK. A survey by Cardiff University School of Dentistry, published in the British Dental Journal, showed a high proportion of 12-14 year olds are regularly consuming, high sugar, sports drinks unnecessarily.
Ms Catherine Brophy from Torquay pleaded guilty to practising illegal tooth whitening in Devon and received a 12 month conditional discharge as well as being ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge, and General Dental Council (GDC) costs of £600. After the case she said: “I think it's important to warn others who might inadvertently fall foul of the legislation.”
Belfast dentist, Chris Loughridge, has windsurfed from Northern Ireland to Scotland in a record 100 minutes, through choppy waters. He set sail from Cushendall in County Antrim and arrived at the Mull of Kintyre lighthouse an hour and 40 minutes later. “I am over the moon”, he told the Belfast Telegraph afterwards.
The British Dental Association (BDA) has roundly criticised government plans to strip dental hygiene and dental therapy students of the NHS bursary. Paul Blaylock, Chair of the BDA’s Students Committee, said: “The abolition of the NHS bursary is bad news for dentistry and for all dental professionals.”
Lay Council member and Chair of the Finance and Performance Committee, Michael Carroll, has resigned from his positions with the General Dental Council (GDC). He will leave the GDC in October 2016. He said: "It is with considerable regret that due to ever increasing demands for my time from a combination of personal, business and charity work activities, that I felt it necessary to resign from my current GDC roles.”
The British Dental Association (BDA) has responded to the result of the referendum on membership of the European Union. Chair of PEC, Mick Armstrong, said: “We did not take a position in this referendum. Our prerogative is to ensure this profession is heard by any governments making decisions that impact on care, wherever they are based, and whatever happens at the ballot box. Today that role remains unchanged.”
Charlotte Leslie MP asked how patients could pursue complaints against dentists who have left the country. Minister Alistair Burt MP replied in the circumstances where the NHS dentist has left the country and a provider is not available, the complaint should be made to the commissioner of the service.
Charlotte Leslie Conservative MP for Bristol North West asked what assessment had been made of the adequacy of the mechanisms in place to pursue complaints against private company owners providing dental services in the event that the dentist who carried out the procedure leaves the country.
Minister Alistair Burt MP replied: “A complaint about privately funded healthcare is a matter between the patient and the provider of the service or clinician. However, if the service was commissioned by the National Health Service for NHS patients the NHS complaints regulations will apply and the complaint can be made to either the provider or commissioner of the service but not to both. In the circumstances where a provider is not available the complaint should be made to the commissioner of the service.”
Data recently published show that the percentage of the population seen in past two years remains the same at 55.7%. Band 1 courses of treatment have increased, whereas they are down for all other Bands. Exempt patients account for half of all Band 3 treatments.