As Dr Helen Phillips settles in as the GDC‘s new Chair she may be anxiously watching events at the General Medical Council. It is fair to say that the GMC are not having a good week.
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That one person‘s idea of humour can be another‘s offence, is not a new phenomenon. What has changed is the ability to share both an original comment and one‘s opinion of it, as well as the opportunity for digital bombardment of those who cause offence.
Amongst the many frustrations dental teams face, the irregular patient who only attends when there is an emergency must come near the top of the list. Patients who fall into the regular irregular attendance pattern often end up requiring more complex treatment, because they have ignored recalls, or the warning signs that all was not well. And because they attend only when there is a pressing problem, the resulting urgency adds to the pressure on practices to see them at short notice.
Read more: RETURN Project Aims To Encourage Patients To Complete Treatment
A recent report on a roundtable meeting in Belfast with the GDC and other organisations will be of interest to dentists across the four nations. It took the form of a blog for the BDA, written by Paul Brennan, chair of the Northern Ireland Council.
Read more: New Chief Executive Says He Has Never Seen a Profession So Fearful of Its Regulator
Aftaer a two week trial, Colorado dentist, Dr James Craig, has been convicted of first-degree murder following the death of his wife, Angela Craig, in March 2023.
Read more: Colorado Dentist Convicted of First-Degree Murder
It is after 19 years, a contract that has been recognised as unfit for purpose and whose intended replacement has been debated, trailed, promised, and confirmed. Despite this, the 2006 UDA NHS dental contract is still being ‘tweaked.‘
Read more: Another Urgent Care Initiative – Dust Off the Calculator
One professional group has gone against the trend of increasing numbers on the UK dental register, with nearly 10% fewer dental technicians listed than in 2020. A recent paper offers little prospect of a recovery in numbers here, but may also concern those technicians around the world who are carrying out the work once done in the UK.
The combination of a Labour administration and a UDA style NHS contract is not unique to England. Wales has had its own UDA based arrangement since 2006. The two nations have experienced both major problems with access, and attempts by their administrations to improve matters with marginal changes. There is though, general agreement that that the UDA contracts need replacement rather than fine tuning.
With its latest publication, the GDC has revisited its core role – that of regulating the dental professions and protecting the public
Read more: Clarification on Scope of Practice Welcomed by Indemnifier