Dunoon to Malawi p24 | Trauma reconstruction p57 | Product news p79 |
News
Direct access decision is ‘misguided’, says BDA
The British Dental Association (BDA) has called the GDC’s decision to remove the barrier to direct access for some dental care professionals misguided, saying it “undermines best practice in patient care”. The regulator made its deci-
sion following a full council meeting on 28 March with the changes coming into effect on 1 May. Kevin O’Brien, chairman of the GDC, said: “This decision has been made with patient safety as an upmost priority. Registrants treating patients direct must only do so if appro- priately trained, competent and indemnified. They should also ensure that there are adequate onward referral arrangements in place and they must make clear to the patient the extent of their scope of practice and not work beyond it.” However, Dr Judith Husband,
chair of the BDA’s Education, Ethics and the Dental Team Committee, said: “This is a misguided decision that fails to consider best practice in essen- tial continuity of care, patient
GDC talks at BDA Conference
SPEAKERS
The chairman and chief execu- tive of the General Dental Council (GDC) will both be speaking at this year’s British Dental Association (BDA) Conference in Manchester on 25-27 April.
GDC chairman Kevin O’Brien, who is originally from Edinburgh but is now
choice and cost-effectiveness, and weakens teamworking in dentistry which is demon- strated to be in patients’ best interests. Dental hygienists and therapists are highly valued and competent members of the dental team, but they do not undertake the full training that dentists do and on their own are not able to provide the holistic, comprehensive care that patients need and expect. Our fear is that this could lead to health problems being missed in patients who choose to access hygiene and therapy appointments directly. “The decision also ignores
the stated limitations of the literature review on which the decision has been based and goes against the findings of the GDC’s own patient survey last year, which found that just three in ten people favoured a move to allow direct access. “The undue haste with
which the decision is to be implemented does nothing to alleviate the impression that this is an inadequately
considered decision that is being pushed through without proper reference to the risks it creates.” Sally Simpson, immediate
“This is a misguided decision that fails to consider best practice in essential continuity
of care” British Dental Association
past-president of the British Society of Dental Hygienists and Therapists (BSDHT), said: “Being granted permission to treat patients within our scope of practice without a referral or prescription from a dentist will lift previous barriers to oral care and enable our popula- tion increased choice in who delivers their dentistry, and access to the quality care and the particular skills provided by dental hygienists and dental therapists. “The decision has been long
awaited by the profession and as immediate past-president of the BSDHT, an organisa- tion that campaigned so hard in support of direct access for its members and profession, I am delighted to finally see this groundbreaking change in the way we are permitted to prac- tice supported and accepted by our regulator.”
retention fee pays for patient protection.
The GDC chairman will also be appearing in the BDA’s Training Essential Theatre to present ‘Working to deliver dentistry in line with patient expectations’. This session will look at the council’s corporate strategy, policy development and the current hot topic of the moment, direct access.
based in Manchester, will give a presentation entitled ‘Radical changes ahead – the GDC prepares for the future’ alongside the regulator’s chief executive Evlynne Gilvarry.
The presentation will aim to provide clarity on the GDC’s work, future aims, strategy and how this may impact dental professionals, as well as arguing how the annual
® For more information on the British Dental Association Conference in Manchester, visit
http://conference.bda.org
Scottish Dental magazine 13
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84