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Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

Published by Dental Tribune UK Ltd © 2011, Dental Tribune UK Ltd. All rights reserved. Dental Tribune UK Ltd makes every effort to report clinical information and manufacturer’s product news accurately, but cannot assume responsibility for the validity of product claims, or for typographical errors. The publishers also do not assume responsibility for product names or claims, or statements made by advertisers. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and may not reflect those of Dental Tribune International. Group Editor Lisa Townshend Tel: 020 7400 8979 Lisa@dentaltrib- uneuk.com Editorial Assistant Laura Hatton Laura..hatton@dentalt- ribuneuk.com Advertising Director Joe Aspis Tel: 020 7400 8969 Joe@dentaltribuneuk. com Sales Executive Sam Volk Tel: 020 7400 8964 Sam.volk@dentaltrib- uneuk.com Design & Production Ellen Sawle Ellen@dentaltrib- uneuk.com Dental Tribune UK Ltd 4th Floor, Treasure House, 19–21 Hatton Garden, London, EC1N 8BA A s Alison Lockyer, (pic- tured), marks her first year as Chair of the Gen- eral Dental Council in January 2011, she’s urging more regis- trants to get involved in the regu- lator’s work. “New Year is traditionally a time to make resolutions but the GDC is already ahead of the game with its corporate strat- egy now firmly in place. Instead it’s time for us to really get down tobusinesswithdeliveringthere- sults we’ve promised registrants.” One of the biggest commit- ments in the strategy is to review GDC Standards for Dental Pro- fessionals. Alison said: “Our strat- egy pledged to ensure policy is developed on the basis of consul- tation and evidence. The Stand- ards review is an example of this. Work is picking up pace in 2011 with a series of events helping us listen to the people who will be most affected by the changes we make – dental profession- als. We know from the calls and emails we get that there are plen- ty of people with views on the standards we expect registrants to meet. Now is the chance to help shape this work. We’re hold- ing free registrant events across the UK from January onwards with workshops about this im- portant issue.” Participation can count as two hours verifiable CPD. Details are on our website www.gdc-uk.org. The Standards review is one of a number of key projects moving forward in 2011. Alison added: “We’re looking at a number of other important issues. At the heart of this work is our aim of delivering regula- tion which is proportionate, tar- geted, consistent, transparent and accountable. Revalidation remains a focus for regulators and we will continue to seek the views of registrants as well as members of the public and oth- er interested parties as we re- fine our draft plans. We’re also gathering views on the GDC’s Scope of Practice guidance – is it helpful or restrictive? Are there skills registrants think should be included but are missing?” Alison had one clear mes- sage for dental professionals for 2011: “We believe one of the biggest strengths of the GDC is its 96,000 registrants. They are the ones who make the most visible difference to patients’ lives and we want to learn from them. Taking part in consulta- tions, coming to events or even emailing us some feedback can help us learn from their insights. I hope 2011 will be a year of communication for us all.” DT A year of communication January 24-30, 20112 News United Kingdom Edition