Dental Tribune United Kindom Edition

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The changes mean reducing the size of both the Councils to 12 members and moving towards an appointed (rather than elected) Chair. The move, which was announced recently, aims to improve the ef- fectiveness and efficiency of the two councils. According to the report, a move will now also be made away from election to a system of appointing the two chairs, which will increase the openness and transparency of the recruitment process, enable the regulators to seekapplicantsfromamuchwider field and help ensure that peo- ple with the specific qualities needed to be the chair can be appointed. Initiallytheproposalhadbeen for a reduction from 24 to eight members, and that both chairs should be appointed rather than electedbythegoverningcouncils from within their membership. The Chairman will cease to be elected from among the members and will in future be appointed by the Privy Council for an indeterminate term. The amended Orders have now been laid in parliament. General Dental Council Chair Kevin O’Brien said: “The changes in our governance structure, due to take effect in October 2013, will further en- hance the GDC’s ability to re- spond effectively and in a timely way to a rapidly changing regu- latory environment. A key prior- ity for me as Chair of the Council will be to oversee a smooth tran- sition so that important work al- ready underway at the GDC and aimed at improving our perfor- mance is not interrupted.” These changes are just some of the ways in which the GDC is trying to improve its perfor- mance, as was pointed out in its review of performance in 2011, which was recently published by The Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE). The report, which inves- tigates the ways in which the GDC has been actively trying to improve, noted the GDC’s ‘‘changes to its established pro- cesses, as well as its new process- es, policies and systems to enable [the GDC] to become a more effec- tive regulator”. Although the CHRE added that: “the GDC has demonstrated that it meets most of the Stand- ards of Good Regulation for fit- ness to practise”, there was also a list of measures to be taken to improve the function of the GDC. In relation to the GDC’s other functions, the report commend- ed the GDC for reviewing its continuing professional devel- opment scheme and develop- ing a new ‘outcomes-focused’ regime for dental education and training The CHRE noted that further work is needed to improve the timeliness of progression of Fit- ness to Practise cases and quality of decisions. Chief Executive Evlynne Gil- varry said: “We welcome this re- port and the acknowledgement of the progress we have made over the past year. We agree with the CHRE on the further meas- ures necessary to increase the rate of progression of fitness to practise cases and to bring about further necessary improvements in the handling of cases.” DT July 30 - August 5 2012 VOL. 6 NO. 19 Dentist destroys teeth A 33-year-old mother from China is reportedly suing her dentist for £10,000 in dam- ages after dental treatment left her smile in ruins. Accord- ing to national reports, the woman, Xu Feng claimed she was talked into paying £1,200 to have 12 crowns fitted on her teeth during a visit to a clinic in Chongqing city, cen- tral China. However, reports state that once the treatment was carried out Xu Feng’s gums became infected and her mouth was filled with ab- scesses. On visiting another dentist, it was soon discovered that Xu Feng’s teeth had been perfectly healthy; it was also discovered that the clinic was unlicensed. Silkworm cocoons drugs Researchers at Tufts Universi- ty School of Engineering have discovered a way to maintain the potency of vaccines and other drugs for months and possibly years at temperatures above 110 degrees F, by sta- bilising them in a silk protein made from silkworm cocoons. The Tufts findings address a serious obstacle to the effec- tive use of life-saving pharma- ceuticals: keeping them cold. Most vaccines, enzymes, and antibodies and many antibi- otics and other drugs require constant refrigeration from manufacture to delivery to maintain their effectiveness. According to the paper’s first author, Jeney Zhang, silk sta- bilisation has “the potential to significantly change the way we store and deliver phar- maceuticals, especially in the developing world.” The re- search was published before print in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) Online Early Edition. www.dental-tribune.co.uk Antimicrobial Prescribing DT reviews latest book from FGDP UK Lesion management Dr Campo discusses root canal treatment Buy now save later Dino Charalambous provides some advice News in Brief Endo Tribune Money MattersBook ReviewNews On the rise The BLOS note a rise in orthodontic treatments page 2 page 10 pages 16-19 page 24-25 A positive change General Dental Council changes again