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systems, and only ı5 per cent were the result of poorly performing workers. He said: “This is a wake-up call for
those dentists who have a tendency to blame their team if something goes wrong. It is often easier to blame someone else rather than take the time and trouble to build a really good system.” He continued: “Successful prac-
tices develop practice systems that place the patient at their centre. This enables the whole team to understand the relevance of written procedures and audits to their daily work. Quality management becomes central to their work and essential for high-quality dentistry, not an irritating extra imposed by management.” Once practices have understood
this, he said, they then face the challenge of making their quality management systems accessible to the team. “A system held in folders on the
practice manager’s shelf is unlikely to be at the forefront of the mind of even the most well-meaning team member,” he said. At this point in the evening, Andy
revealed the revolutionary, new quality management system known as SUSAN (Simple to use, Unique to your practice, Systems driven, Always updated, Never absent). He described how this cloud-based information software platform’s intuitive and powerful design allows every member of the team to quickly access a wealth of quality manage- ment tools – including interactive procedures, training videos, audit and reference materials (such as COSHH, financial and HR). “Having SUSAN at hand to help every team member allows the dentist to put quality management at the heart of their practice and to raise both quality and profits,” he said. Following Andy’s presentation,
the conversation quickly turned to business and the business of dentistry. Dr John Barry posed the question as to why there is no busi- ness element on the average dental schools’ curriculum. Edinburgh GDP Hew Mathewson
said: “In some schools they have tried business stuff on the curric- ulum, but it is not examined and therefore it has taught the students not to turn up because they are not interested.
“It is often easier to blame someone else rather than take the time and trouble to build a really
good system” Andy Toy
Andy Toy “It is not a subject that the NHS
tends to invest money in and that’s because it does not recognise that you don’t do good dentistry in a badly run practice.” David Foster, managing director
of Braemar Finance, explained that he has been involved with dental finance since ı984 and he has spoken regularly to final year students and VDPs in that time. He said: “Through experience, it is obvious that speaking to newly qualified dentists about how to run a business is not relevant as most will not even consider starting their own practice for at least five years after gradua- tion. Many will simply switch off. “Instead I have found that a
general appreciation of the world of finance as well as understanding and managing money is of greatest relevance at this early stage in their careers, and I have tailored my talks to reflect this.” Hew Mathewson then said that
he never ceased to be astonished at the ignorance of the profession on financial matters, both profession- ally and personally, to which Andy Toy responded: “You have got to understand that education is not about filling an empty vessel. When they are ready to learn the teacher arrives, and you just hope it’s the right teacher.” John Barry said: “I’ve seen people
who are in real trouble, but it really frustrates me when I see guys who are earning £ı00k a year and have not got a penny and I know people who are on £ı5k a year who have savings. That frustrates me about the level of, I don’t think it’s igno- rance, I think it’s incompetence.” Alan Walker, director of general
Continued » Scottish Dental magazine 29
CEO of The Dental Business Academy
John Barry
Operations director of The Dental Plan and director of the Dental Business Academy
MEET THE PANEL
Nicola Docherty President of the British Association of Dental Nurses
David Foster MD of Braemar Finance
Andy Hadden
Dento legal adviser and board member of FGDP(UK)
Ian Matheson MD of Wright Health Group
Hew Mathewson GDP from Edinburgh
Charles Ormond GDP from Falkirk
Jill Taylor
President of the Association of Dental Administrators and Managers
Alan Walker
Director of general dental practice education for the west of Scotland
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