How an International Project Is Changing Lives in India Page 20
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
No.1 for dental professionals in Scotland Establishing the facts in August/September 2013 FiCTION Page 17 Smiles all round How an international project is changing lives in India page 20 BOOKMARK THIS DID YOU KNOW? Your Scottish Dental magazine is available LINK TODAY… www.scottishdentalmag.co.uk online with new and exclusive content PLUS regular news updates www.irelandsdentalmag.ie ISSUE 4 VOL. 4 Welcome Editor’s desk with Bruce Oxley And the survey said... Whether it’s a job interview, be attending the event in Step forward Braehead annual review or a school future, 60 per cent said they Arena. With space for even report, getting feedback, would definitely be coming more exhibitors (over 130 Contents analysis or criticism is back and 32 per cent in total) in the same hall August-September 2013 always a bit of a stressful said possibly. The choice and speaker sessions too, experience. of speakers was rated we think we’ve come up NEWS> However, when it comes ‘Excellent’ by 47 per cent trumps. 05 Biting back to organising an event on and ‘Good’ by 45 per cent. And, with the change of with Arthur Dent the scale of the Scottish In terms of the venue venue, we’ve decided to 07 Mind the gap: pay Dental Show, knowing itself, 52 per cent said they move the show to Friday review leaves void what your delegates and were ‘Extremely satisfied’ and Saturday (9 and 10 10 Dental start-up exhibitors really think is and 40 per cent said May) to take advantage of targets £1m in sales 13 All smiles on vital in keeping the event as they were ‘Satisfied’ with the facilities at Braehead Centre Court relevant as possible. Hampden Park. However, and the nearby Xscape We sent out online the reaction from the leisure complex, and we’ll FEATURES> feedback questionnaires exhibitors was a bit more have details of the offers, 19 Spotlight with to all delegates and mixed – 30 per cent said deals and promotions on Professor Mike Wise exhibitors from the 2013 they were ‘Satisfied’ but 9 offer to dental professionals 20 International cleft show, and were pleasantly per cent were ‘Dissatisfied’ and their families. palate project is surprised by the results. and 15 per cent were Keep an eye on Twitter saving lives We found that 90 per cent ‘Extremely dissatisfied’. (@ScottishDental) and 33 NES’s world first of respondents rated the So, while we acknowledge online (www.sdmag.co.uk) for 3D teaching show as either ‘Good’ (47 that many loved the for more information in the per cent) or ‘Excellent’ atmosphere at Hampden, coming weeks. CLINICAL> (43 per cent) and more we needed somewhere that 48 Articulator selection than two-thirds said the could accommodate the ® and clinical stages show exceeded their exhibition in one hall, with Bruce Oxley is the editor of 55 Patient removable Scottish Dental magazine. To full arch fixed bridge expectations. speaker sessions as close contact Bruce, email bruce@ When asked if they would by as possible. connectcommunications.co.uk by Willie Jack Scottish Dental magazine 3 Column Biting back with Arthur Dent Too little, too late o, after months, indeed The DDRB award for this year “The DDRB ever-increasing upwards spiral: years of waiting and was that an uplift of ı.49 per cent awards are laboratory bills, materials and following a deaf - be applied to item-of-service fees meagre and staffing combined with greater ening silence, Scottish in Scotland for 20ı3/ı4 and that this demands on practices to comply Government (SG) has increase should be compounded do not come with new practice inspection Sfinally finished its consideration of with the outstanding uplifts for 20ıı/ close to protocols, decontamination and the Doctors and Dentists Review ı2 and 20ı2/ı3 (increases of ı per cent addressing running costs of LDUs. Body (DDRB) reports for the past and ı.38 per cent respectively). rising costs” The fact that SG refuses to three years. The outcome is that So, in the end, SG is willing to pay these paltry awards in full SG proposes to increase GDS fees give uplifts of only 0.5 per cent for and delays the payment for years by 2.5ı per cent; the increase will be each of the previous years (20ıı/ı2 is an insult to dentists, especially backdated, but only to ı April 20ı3. and 20ı2/ı3) and compound these to those in hard-working, loyal This is hardly going to alleviate together with the implementa- NHS practices. the pressure on the budgets of those tion in full (gee thanks) of this We recognise we live of us struggling with tight cash-flow year’s uplift of ı.49 per cent. in times of financial in NHS-committed dental practices. This apparently delivers stringency and already The fee scale we use at present was a net increase in fees efficient dental prac- introduced on ı December 20ı0 and of 2.5ı per cent, and, no, tices have ‘tightened had been delayed from April of that I don’t understand the their belts’ as much as year, so we are currently working arithmetic either! they can. for fees which are in essence three Bear in mind that these Further econo- years out of date. DDRB awards are designed mies will inevitably In the interim years the DDRB to deliver no pay increase impact on the has awarded fee increases but, until to GDPs but are supposedly quality of care now, SG has ignored (or has been to cover increasing practice that can be given ‘considering’) the awards, in spite of expenses, leaving dentists’ to NHS patients constant lobbying and questioning income untouched. My and morale among from the profession. And, even personal income has been drop- dentists and staff is with this announcement, SG is not ping markedly over the past 3-4 at an all-time low. implementing the DDRB increases years due to rocketing costs of The dentists, in full, let alone backdating them expenses, and I am certain your staff and patients to the appropriate periods over the experience will be similar. of Scotland past three years. Practice expenses are on an deserve better. DETAILS AND CONTRIBUTORS Scan this QR code with your smartphone Editor Design and Subscriptions to see all of our social Bruce Oxley production Ann Craib media offerings Tel: 0141 560 3050 Lindsay Neill Tel: 0141 560 3021 is published by bruce@connect ann@connect communications.co.uk communications.co.uk Advertising Senior sub-editor sales manager 1 year, 6 issue The copyright in all articles published in Scottish Wendy Fenemore Ann Craib subscriptions: UK £60; Dental magazine is reserved, and may not be Tel: 0141 560 3021 overseas £75; reproduced without permission. Neither the Studio 2001, Mile End, Sub-editors: ann@connect students £30. publishers nor the editor necessarily agree with Paisley PA1 1JS Chris Fitzgerald communications.co.uk Back issues: £5, views expressed in the magazine. Tel: 0141 561 0300 Penny Murray subject to availability. ISSN 2042-9762 Fax: 0141 561 0400 www.scottishdentalmag.co.uk Scottish Dental magazine 5 Spotlight p19 | Rep profile p25 | Financial p47 | News Mind the gap: pay review leaves void NHS FUNDING have to re-evaluate plans to invest in their practices and the Robert Donald The British Dental Associ- staff needed to provide care. Avinent ation (BDA) has criticised This is the first funding the Scottish Government’s increase since April 2010 and appoints decision to ignore the follows years of financial pres- new sales Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review sure on dental practices as a Body’s (DDRB) funding result of increased regulation manager uplift recommendations. and staffing costs, as well as the The BDA said that the rising prices of materials and costs to providing the service decision to impose a lower- equipment. patients need. It is particularly Spanish implant than-advised funding increase Dr Robert Donald, chair disappointing that its decision company Avinent has a of 2.51 per cent for NHS of the BDA’s Scottish Dental disregards the recommen- new UK sales manager dental services could be Practice Committee, said: “The dation of the independent in the shape of Ted detrimental to care and bring funding freeze of recent years body tasked with assessing Johnston. into question the viability of has meant dental practices the situation. Former Nobel Biocare some advanced treatments. stretching their resources to “Government must start rep Ted, who has two Dentists’ leaders said they breaking point in order to be thinking now about how it decades of sales experi- accepted the 2.51 per cent able to continue caring for can help dentists meet those ence – including 10 years increase after lengthy talks their patients. This uplift will pressures and work with the in dentistry – started as the best possible outcome not alleviate the challenge they profession to produce a fair with Avinent in July and is given the economic pres- are facing. deal for dental patients in 2014.” enjoying his new role. sures confronting public “While we understand the The BDA has written to “I’m absolutely loving finances. However, the BDA is acute fiscal pressures facing all General Dental Practi- it,” he said. “I have the concerned that, as a result of Government, it must, in turn, tioner members in Scotland to chance to build some- the uplift, many dentists will understand that there are provide details of the deal. thing big within the UK, and that’s a great chal- lenge. We want to make Avinent the ‘go to’ brand for implants.” New standards Ted has spent his first weeks in the job on the road visiting new published by GDC customers and setting up courses.