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The symposium takes place at a critical time — just before the GDC responds to consultation comments on its proposal following the DARG report. The GDC suggests that the duties of dental auxiliaries and the way they are represented are redefined.

What do patients want, how should the team be trained, what will be the dentist's management and training role and what sort of regulation will be needed? These issues are of importance to every dentist and every team member.

A team of speakers from a variety of backgrounds — dentistry, other areas of healthcare, health economics and other professions will present their arguments, and there will be a debating session at the end of the day.

Following his success as chairman of last year's NHS 50 symposium Niall Dickson, the BBC's social affairs editor, will chair this event. The programme will begin with the Chairman's introduction, after which the following topics will be covered:

No laughing matter

(Thursday April 29, 1999):

This year's conference will see a unique event for VDPs, different from anything the BDA has organised for them before.

The event will be an entertaining and informative staged production of on NHS disciplinary hearing, involving a young dentist regarding multiple claims for glass ionomer fillings, fissure sealants and sealant restorations.

There will be a large cast, a stage set up like a real hearing and- plenty of opportunity for the audience to get involved in the action on stage.

Medical Insurance Agency will be speaking on The Business of Protecting your Practice during the afternoon. This talk by Keith Taylor, marketing manager of MIA, will be a useful step-by-step guide on getting the best from those oilimportant first insurance and,: investment steps in practice.

Details will be sent to all VDP advisers shortly. For more information contact Katy Clarke in the conference office. Tel: 0171935:0875, ext 297.

Economic drivers

Reconfiguring working methods — an overview (Alan Maynard, joint director,York Health Policy Group): A look at pressures on health spending, the need to spend effectively and new ways of working that will give the community more for its money. A background on how the rest of healthcare has been driven to reconfigure working methods.

Role developments in nursing (Sarah Waller, director of standards promotion, UKCC): The tight regulation used in dentistry contrasted with the higher level of management autonomy that nurses have over their integrated support workers.

Too few dentists? (Graham Try, consultant, Statistical and Management Services): The market pressures on dentists to look for new ways of working and a look ahead at demographic trends and the implications for auxiliary workforce planning.

Practicalities for practitioners (Gordon Watkins, chairman, BDA Auxiliary Personnel Committee): Auxiliary planning from the viewpoint of the practices and local community access. What types of auxiliary support do practitioners really need?

Public protections

The view from the chair (Elizabeth Stanton Jones, lay member, General Optical Council): Public safety, public protection and other patient concerns such as convenience, quick appointments, short journeys, short waiting times at the surgery and access to information and advice.

Following The Nuffield Report and the present Dentists Act (Jenny Pinder, chairman, GDC, Dental Auxiliaries Committee): How the GDC's Dental Auxiliaries Review Group approached its task: The Nuffield Report recommendation, an outline of the DARG regulatory philosophy and speculation on what could happen next — especially in terms of legislation.

Statutory regulation elsewhere in healthcare (Brian Edwards, chairman, Council for Professions Supplementary to dentistry): As team-working flexibility grows in healthcare, and as skills proliferate, the lesson may be that the registration of every health worker doing invasive work is impractical.

Regulation for the teams for tomorrow (Jim Port, director, J M Consulting): Regulatory principles in other fields and suggestions on the possible implications for dentistry.

Training imperatives

Training — gain or pain for the employer? (John Chope, chairman, The Federation for Dental Employers): Training as a sound investment. Developing a training strategy and paying for it.

The NVQ framework (Judith Compton, principal officer, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority): An introduction to the NVQ framework and how it could help to support the training of dental auxiliaries. The value of training in the workplace in comparison with external courses.

The enormity of the training problem (Marilyn Orcharton, managing director, Kite Consultants): The extremes of good and bad training practice, illustrating the size of the training challenge facing dentists.

The symposium will be rounded off by a discussion session, with comments and questions from the floor.

The cost to attend the symposium is £75. For those also attending the conference the cost is £50 Registration forms for both the symposium and conference are now available from the BDA conference office. Tel:0171935 0875, ext 286.