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Press release: NHS Employers and the BDA announce negotiations to modernise salaried dentists' contract

08 Jun 2006

NHS Employers and the British Dental Association (BDA) have today announced that they are starting negotiations to modernise the contract of employment for salaried primary care dentists.

The negotiations will be based on the proposals set out in Creating the Future - Modernising careers for salaried dentists in primary care which proposed new education, roles and career pathways and pay and grading principles for salaried dentists. 

It will result in a new pay structure and terms of service for NHS dentists working in salaried primary dental care services in England from 1 April 2007.

NHS Employers and the BDA have set up negotiating teams drawn from the service to take forward the discussions.  The teams will meet regularly during the coming months.

Eric Rooney, NHS Employers' lead negotiator and Consultant in Dental Public Health at Preston PCT and Cumbria and Lancashire SHA said:

"It is timely that we put in place a new contract for this group of dentists who make an important contribution to NHS dentistry.

"New terms and conditions of service need to reflect the wide variety of roles carried out by generalist and specialist salaried dentists, producing clearer career and development opportunities within a framework which rewards them appropriately for their contribution to the NHS." 

Janet Clarke, the BDA's lead negotiator and Chair of the BDA's Central Committee for Community and Public Health Dentistry, said:

"It is vital for both our patients and colleagues that these negotiations make real progress in rewarding the dedication and hard work of those working in salaried services.

"These dentists work with the most vulnerable members of society including those requiring special care and patients who would otherwise be unable to access NHS dentistry."

NHS Employers' negotiating team is as follows:

Eric Rooney - lead negotiator and Consultant in Dental Public Health at Preston PCT and Cumbria and Lancashire SHA
Rick Roberts - Medical and Dental Director, South Birmingham PCT
Philip Grant -  NHS Employers Director of Finance Adviser and full time negotiator
Adrian Jacobs - Director of Primary Care, Torbay Care Trust and General Medical Services contract core negotiator.

The BDA negotiating team is as follows:

Janet Clarke - lead negotiator and Chair of the BDA's Central Committee for Community and Public Health Dentistry
Christine Arnold - Vice Chair of the Central Committee for Community and Public Health Dentistry
Sue Martin - BDA Head of Policy, Research and Representation
Andy Williams - BDA Senior Industrial Relations Officer
 
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For further information please contact Emma Stafford in NHS Employers' press office on 020 7074 3307 or the BDA media team on 0207 563 4145/6.

Notes for editors

Contact details

The press office provides a comprehensive service to keep journalists informed about the work of NHS Employers.

If you have a media enquiry, please contact the press office team:

• Gemma Jeffcoate
  0207 074 3308 or gemma.jeffcoate@nhsemployers.org
• Emma Stafford
  0207 074 3307 or emma.stafford@nhsemployers.org

For out of hours media enquiries, please contact the duty press officer on 07880 500726.

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