GDC | Protecting patients, regulating the

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GDC | Protecting patients, regulating the dental team

GDCProtecting patients, regulating the dental team

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12 April 2006

Alvan Seth-Smith

Deputy Chief Executive

(Education and Standards)

Views of the General Dental Council on the Bologna reforms

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Membership of the GDC

• The Council comprises:

• 29 members -

– 15 dentists

– 4 dental care professionals

– 10 lay members

– And the 4 Chief Dental Officers as associate members

• Over 100 staff

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Our main responsibilities

Education:

• Promoting high standards

• Quality assuring the provision

Registration

Fitness to Practise

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Who do we register ?

Dentists

Dental Hygienists

Dental Therapists

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Who are we going to register ?

Dental Nurses

Dental Technicians

Clinical Dental Technicians

Orthodontic Therapists

- from July 2006

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GDC Education Committee

Two GDC documents set out the education and training requirements.

For Dentists:

The First Five Years (2002)

For Dental Care Professionals (DCPs):

Developing the Dental Team (2004)

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• Concerned by freedom of movement in EU and automatic access to UK dentists register

• Lack of clinical experience, especially Italy

• Stomatological model in Eastern Europe

• Supports progress towards convergence of European dental curricula and raising of standards

• Convergence and high standards offer best protection to patients

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GDC active in Europe through-

• AURE

• CODE

• DLC

• ADEE

• Dent Ed III

All have taken a keen interest in the Bologna Process

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Alliance of UK Health Regulators (AURE)

• 10 Regulators, including GMC and GDC

• Lobbying group in UK and Brussels

• Emphasis on text of Directives

• Recent interest in Education

• Has received a briefing on Bologna

• Receives EU Newsletter

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Conference of Orders and Assimilated Bodies of Dental

Practitioners in Europe (CODE)

• Dental regulators of 7 Countries

• Expected to expand

• Taking forward relevant recommendations of 2005 UK Presidency of EU

• March 2007 meeting in UK

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Dental Liaison Committee (DLC)• Professional bodies of all EU Countries

• GDC has observer status

• Resolution on the Bologna Process- November 2005

– Welcomes establishment of European Higher Education Area

– Believes general principles of Bologna appropriate and reasonable

– But, strongly opposes two cycle (Bachelor/ Master) structure

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Association of Dental Education in Europe (ADEE)

Has followed Bologna process closely and is supportive.

Published 2004: Profile and Competences for the European Dentist

• Competences achieved on graduation

• Conforms to European directives

• 200 Dental Schools across Europe

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Association of Dental Education in Europe (ADEE)

Published 2005: Curriculum Structure and the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) for European Dental Schools: Part I

• Provides framework for a model of an ‘Educational Programme in Dentistry’

• Modular structure related to European Credit Transfer System (ECTS)

• 5 years full time education leading to Master’s

• Bachelor’s degree would be academic award only

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Dent ED III

Overall objective-

‘To agree a profile for the European dentist based on competences in anticipation of the implementation of the Bologna Declaration. This will promote the European Credit Transfer System, quality assurance and benchmarking.’

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Dent Ed III

• Third phase of the DentEd Thematic Network Project and funded by the EU Commission for three years 2004-2007

• Project directed towards convergence of standards of dental and stomatological education and training in Europe

• Will culminate in a Global Congress in Dublin in September 2007

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Some key principles:

• Integrity of ‘The First Five Years’

• Whole programme, not pick and mix

• Modern systems of learning and practice

• Vertical integration of scientific, medical and clinical dental subjects

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• Robust assessment of learning outcomes

• Equipping the new graduate to practise

unsupervised

• Clarity to public, patients and dental team.

• Giving full value to a demanding five year

programme - Masters level

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And in relation to Bologna-

• Portability of qualifications

• Clarity over what has been studied

• Convergence and raising of standards

• Break point after 3 years- advantages/ risks

• Bachelor or Masters- BDS or MDS

• Importance to build on achievements of European networks in dental education

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Websites

GDC www.gdc-uk.org

AURE www.aure.org.uk

CODE no website yet

DLC www.eudental.org

ADEE www.adee.dental.tcd.ie

Dent Ed III www.dented.learnonline.ie

Documents

GDC | Protecting patients, regulating the