Big Brother due in Bebbington

The West Lancs, West Cheshire and North Wales Branch AGM will take place on 5 February 2013 at the PGMC, Clatterbridge Hospital, Bebbington, Wirral, CH63 4JY. The AGM will be preceded by a lecture, 'Big Brother', given be Richard Birkin, Head of Regional Services at the British Dental Association (BDA) and will cover how the NHS monitors you: past, present and future. The presentation will include advice on NICE guidelines and record keeping. Tea and coffee will be available from 6pm, with the lecture commencing at 6.30pm.

Resounding success in Leicester

On 8-9 November 2012 the 16th annual conference of the National Association of Dental Advisers (NADA) was held in Leicester and was a resounding success. Presentations were given by Sue Gregory, Sam Illingworth and Collette Bridgeman, John Milne (chair of the GDPC), the GDC, NCAS and the Health Service Ombudsman.

At the AGM it was agreed that with the continued success of NADA it would be beneficial to the profession if NADA membership was open to all clinicians who give advice, including corporate bodies, defence organisations and professional bodies. www.nada-uk.org

Current challenges in Cape Town

At the 7th Triennial Meeting of the Commonwealth Dental Association (CDA) held in Cape Town, South Africa, in November, the CDA installed new officers for 2012-2014 and agreed to a constitutional change to move from triennial to biennial general meetings. The CDA held a plenary session followed by a workshop chaired by Professor Samarawickrama on the subject of Oral health and oral disability in the elderly. Dr Sue Greening, Dr Tope Esan and Dr Graham Gilmore presented current challenges and possible approaches to this issue. www.comdental.org

LPN forms in Thames Valley

PCTs within Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire have recently begun testing the outline proposals for a Local Professional Network (LPN) across dentistry by forming the Thames Valley Dental LPN. The network is made up of local clinicians, a medical director, commissioning managers and a consultant in dental public health.

Dental LPNs will have an important role in informing the decisions which commissioners will make regarding all dental services from April 2013.

To register interest in the next Thames Valley Dental LPN forum meeting on 17 January 2013 tvd.lpn@nhs.net.