The General Dental Council (GDC) wants to hear views as it considers whether patients should be allowed direct access to different types of dental professionals. The GDC is now considering whether to allow ‘direct access’ for all patients. This would mean that patients could see other members of the dental team without seeing a dentist first, for example a dental hygienist or therapist.

Surprise has been expressed from many about some of those who have put themselves forward for election to the BDA’s new Principal Executive Committee (PEC). Names such as Susie Sanderson, Alison Lockyer and Paul Langmaid, who many assumed had no aspirations for high office at the BDA. Another surprise is that there were no nominations for the North West.

Welsh Lib Dems leader Kirsty Williams AM has said that only 37% of dentists in Wales are accepting new NHS patients. She said in the Welsh Assembly: “said: “Although the new dental contract was supposed to improve access to NHS dentists for all, the worrying truth is that NHS dentistry in Wales is still far from a universal public service.”

The Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley has agreed a national uplift for GDS contracts and PDS agreements in England of 0.5%. This is in line with the Government’s policy of no increase to net GDP pay this year. The rise is largely to fund pay increases for practice staff earning less than £21,000 a year, again in line with the Government's public sector pay policy.

Although the link-up between the Dental Professionals Association and CODE has been called off owing to opposition from members, the proposed special meeting on 21 April will still go ahead, to discuss ways of rescuing the Association. In an email to members, acting Chairman, Reg Short, said the DPA had been ‘trading insolvently’ for some years and there had been a steady decline in membership.