Life as President of the British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN) continues to be a busy, albeit enjoyable one as we endeavour to move the profession forward. I valued the opportunity to meet with Sara Hurley, Chief Dental Officer, to consider, among other things, the current training profile of dental nurses and how we can ensure that training today is able to meet tomorrow's challenges. I was delighted to share Sara's vision for the future and the possible opportunities for dental nurses wishing to expand their portfolio with NHS England. I also met with the FGDP Dean, Mick Horton, where we deliberated the possibilities for a ‘new’ mentoring qualification, to further support dental nurses' work-based learning.

I attended the recent FGDP (UK) bi-annual Pendlebury lecture where guest speaker Sara Hurley shared her observations and views since taking up the role of Chief Dental Officer and her vision for the dental profession.

It was with great interest that I attended the GDC panel debate on reforming professional regulation and their commitment to make the case for and develop an improved model of dental regulation in the UK. It was evident that collaboration with other regulatory bodies is needed to ensure an efficient and effective reform system.

I am delighted to announce that the 2016 recipient of the BADN Outstanding Contribution to Dental Nursing Award is RAF Warrant Officer Pam Daley. This award will be presented at the BDA Honours and Awards Dinner on Saturday 28 May, in Manchester. Many congratulations, Pam! More details are on the BADN website.

To conclude, BADN will be conducting a survey in relation to dental nurse demographics. Further details can be found on our website, www.badn.org.uk, and I would encourage all dental nurses, BADN members and non-members, to participate, as this will allow us to build up a dental nurse profile which can be used to better tailor our membership offering to the actual needs of dental nurses in the UK.

To remind you, I shall be at the Dentistry Show (NEC, April), the Scottish Dental Show (Glasgow, May), the British Dental Conference & Exhibition (Manchester, May), the BDA Scottish Scientific Conference (Glasgow, September) and BDIA Dental Showcase (ExCel, October), along with other events, and would be delighted to talk to any dental nurses who come along to the BADN stand.