With help from his grandchildren, Dental Protection celebrates the life of Edward Tull-Warnock, one of the first black professionally registered dentists in the UK, as part of #BlackHistoryMonth.

Dental Protection is frequently contacted by members who want to understand how long records should be retained by the practice. Read details on how long records should be retained.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland replaces the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care (the Care Commission)

As dental professionals are aware, obtaining appropriate consent depends on providing patients with sufficient knowledge and information to allow them to make a decision.

The Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme (PVG Scheme) went live in Scotland on 28 February 2011. This new membership scheme is intended to replace and improve upon the current disclosure arrangements for people who work with vulnerable groups.

The work of the Primary Care Trust or NHS Trust (familiar in England) is performed by the Health Boards and Dentistry under the NHS and is managed by the Practitioner Services Division (PSD).

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) publicationGuidance on a Model Complaints Handling Procedure is accompanied by a Statement of Complaints Handling Principles

The DBS deals with criminal records checks (now known as DBS checks) and is responsible for maintaining the Barred Lists for both children and vulnerable adults. Inclusion on the barred list precludes an individual from participating in a regulated activity with the relevant group. For the purposes of this scheme dentistry is considered to be a regulated activity and all adult patients are considered to be vulnerable. Thus inclusion on either or both lists would effectively bring an end to a dentist or dental care professionals practice.

Stephen Henderson describes a campaign that has fundamentally changed the way in which the GDC’s Investigating Committee operates

The law on “informed” consent has changed following a recent Supreme Court judgment

The report of the Intercollegiate Advisory Committee for Sedation (IACS) in Dentistry was published in April 2015 and replaces the previous document, Conscious Sedation in the Provision of Dental Care (Department of Health 2003)

Resistance to shared decision making often revolves around a perception that dentists have many patients who wish the dentist to make the decision for them. Whatever you think best. The difficulty is that just as Dentists have preferences for their style of decision making, patients also have preferences as to their desired level of involvement.

Some important facts that we think you will find surprising

The new NHS Scotland Complaints Handling Procedure places an emphasis on empowering all staff to resolve issues “on-the-spot” where they can. Primary Care service providers also have to make sure they record all complaints, even those resolved efficiently. Sara Dawson explores all the changes below