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Workforce recruitment issues

Immediate considerations for sustainable oral health workforce expansion

British Dental Journal volume 235, pages 400–401 (2023)Cite this article

Key points

  • Dental schools are committed to contributing to improving oral healthcare provision in the UK. With appropriate funding, and some reconfiguration of educational delivery, this will be possible through increasing the number of graduating oral health professionals. This may provide a transformative opportunity for dental education across the UK.

  • New, dedicated capital funding should be directed towards maintaining and improving existing buildings and clinical placement capacity.

  • Through considerable funding and planning, the career progression and working culture which new graduates seek can be enabled. This includes, but is not limited to, NHS contractual reform.

  • Devolved nations' long-term workforce plans should be released as soon as possible.

Kirsty Hill is a distinguished academic professional, currently serving as a Professor of Dental Education and holding the esteemed position of Head of Birmingham Dental School. With a profound dedication to advancing dental knowledge and care, she has made significant contributions to the field. She earned her PhD in Dental Public Health, with her research centred on 'Patients' perceptions of dental services'. Professor Hill has an extensive academic background in dental public health and behavioural science. She has worked on the last four National and Child Dental Health Surveys, where she played a pivotal role in assessing the dental health of diverse populations. Furthermore, she has conducted extensive research aimed at understanding the multifaceted barriers to accessing dental care, with a particular emphasis on dental anxiety. Her work not only contributes to advancing dental practices but also addresses the broader concerns of dental workforce stress and burnout, underscoring her commitment to the wellbeing of dental professionals.

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References

  1. NHS England. NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. 2023. Available at https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-long-term-workforce-plan/ (accessed July 2023).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Professor of Dental Education, Head of Birmingham Dental School, UK

    Kirsty Hill

  2. Professor of Paediatric Dentistry, Honorary Consultant, Head of Cardiff Dental School, UK

    Nicola Innes

Authors
  1. Kirsty Hill
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  2. Nicola Innes
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Kirsty Hill or Nicola Innes.

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Cite this article

Hill, K., Innes, N. Immediate considerations for sustainable oral health workforce expansion. Br Dent J 235, 400–401 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-023-6327-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-023-6327-2

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