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Workforce Planning for Dentistry in Scotland:
A Strategic Review: Interim Report and Recommendations

ANNEX E
SCOTTISH COUNCIL FOR POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL AND DENTAL EDUCATION DENTAL VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND GENERAL PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

In 1993, Vocational Training (DVT) became mandatory for all dental graduates who wish to hold a health board list number. This legislative change means that any dentist who intends to work as a "principal" in the General Dental Services, has to undertake vocational training.

On a UK basis, there are insufficient vocational training places for the output of the dental schools in an average year. In Scotland, competition for DVT places is intense and at present there are 100 places in general dental practice for the dental school output of around 120. There is little cross-border recruitment into VT places in Scotland. Every year, however, Scotland loses graduates to other parts of the UK as they seek a vocational training place. Traditionally, Scottish graduates are considered a "quality product" and compete successfully for places in England. Although not it’s primary purpose, it is clear that DVT acts as a recruitment mechanism and helps to retain graduates in Scotland.

Only practices and trainers undertaking NHS dentistry can participate in vocational training and practices have to undergo a rigorous peer review process which involves practice inspection, competitive interview and references are obtained from the Dental Practice Division. Thus vocational training also helps to retain quality practices in the NHS in Scotland. As the output of the dental schools has now been fixed at 120 home and EU students, an expansion of Vocational Training opportunities, by 20 places, would further enhance recruitment and retention of practices and graduates.

General Professional Training involving a year in General Dental Practice and a year in the Community Dental or Hospital Dental Service has been mooted for many years. It was first suggested in 1981 by the Dental Strategy Review Group and most recently the 1995 Chief Dental Officer's Report recommended that pilot schemes be set up to "test the feasibility of introducing a two year period of General Professional Training". This recommendation was further supported in a 1996 White Paper which stated that "the government intends to support the development of General Professional Training in the NHS, ideally for all dentists after graduation."

Scotland has led the way with piloting GPT and an independent review carried out by the Scottish Council for Research in Education was extremely positive about the advantages of a two-year training period. The report commented "by equipping dentists to meet the challenges of the next century, and by providing the basis for better patient care, General Professional Training should be of long-term benefit to dentistry in Scotland." The numbers of applications to General Professional Training schemes greatly exceeds the places available, and as with DVT, acts as a powerful recruitment tool retaining graduates in the NHS in Scotland. As a policy decision, SCPMDE is working towards a position whereby a GPT place will be available for every graduate of the Scottish Dental Schools.

Currently, there are a total of 185 training places for new graduates in Scotland. There are;

There is a requirement to maintain around 20 SHO places for basic specialist training, to allow recruitment to the Specialist Registrar Grade, therefore a total of 260 training places are required. This represents an increase of around 75 places above the current establishment. By distributing these places within Primary Care Trusts and within District General Hospitals, it would be possible to fulfil SCPMDE's strategy and enhance recruitment, retention and quality dental care in Scotland.

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