The National Health Service (General Dental Services) Amendment Regulations 1993

Regulation 8

SCHEDULE 1 NEW SCHEDULE 1A TO THE PRINCIPAL REGULATIONS

Regulation 2(1)

“SCHEDULE 1A CONSTITUENT ELEMENTS IN VOCATIONAL TRAINING

Overall Aim

1.   To enhance clinical and administrative competence and promote high standards through relevant postgraduate training to meet the needs of unsupervised general dental practice, and in particular–

(a) to enable trainees to practise and improve their skills;

(b) to introduce trainees to all aspects of general dental practice;

(c) to identify a trainee’s personal strengths and weaknesses and balance them through a planned programme of training;

(d) to promote oral health of, and quality dental care for, patients;

(e) to develop further and implement peer and self review, and promote awareness of the need for professional education, training and audit as a continuing process.

Objectives

2.   To enable the trainee–

(a) to make competent and confident professional decisions including decisions for referrals to other services;

(b) to demonstrate that he is working within the guidelines regarding the ethics and confidentiality of general dental practice;

(c) to implement regulations and guidelines for the delivery of safe practice;

(d) to know how to obtain appropriate advice on, and practical experience of, legal and financial aspects of practice;

(e) to demonstrate that he has acquired skill and knowledge in the psychology of care of patients and can work successfully as a member of a practice team;

(f) to demonstrate the necessary knowledge and skills to organise and manage a practice.”

Regulation 9

SCHEDULE 2 NEW SCHEDULE 5A TO THE PRINCIPAL REGULATIONS

Regulation 5A(7)

“SCHEDULE 5A PROCEDURE ON APPLICATIONS FOR A VOCATIONAL TRAINING NUMBER

1.   All applications under regulation 5A(1) shall be considered and determined without an oral hearing and without the attendance of the applicant.

Applications to be dealt with by the secretary

2.— (1) Subject to sub–paragraph (2)(b), an application under regulation 5A(1)(b)(i) or (iii) shall be considered by and may be determined by the secretary or in the absence of the secretary such other officer, or such committee, as the Chairman shall designate for the purpose.

(2) The secretary (or that other officer or that committee) shall either–

(a) grant the application within fourteen days and allocate a vocational training number to the applicant; or

(b) refer the application for consideration and determination by a committee in accordance with paragraph 3.

Applications to be dealt with by committee

3.   Any application under regulation 5A(1)(b)(ii), and any application referred in accordance with paragraph 2(2)(b), shall be considered and determined by a committee of three sitting together and being–

(a) either three non–officer members one of whom shall act as chairman of that committee, or

(b) two non–officer members and the Chairman who shall act as chairman of the committee.

Additional information

4.— (1) The Authority may request of any applicant additional information and documents in respect of any application, and where any such request is made–

(a) it shall be in writing;

(b) it shall specify a reasonable date by which the information or documents are to be provided; and

(c) the applicant shall provide the additional information and documents requested within such reasonable time.

(2) If the applicant fails to provide the additional information and documents requested within the time specified by the Authority, the Authority may proceed to determine the application on the basis of the information and documents which it has.

Time for the determination of an application

5.   An application shall be determined–

(a) where no additional information or documents are requested by the Authority pursuant to paragraph 4, within the period of 12 weeks beginning with the date on which the application is received by the Authority;

(b) where such additional information or documents are requested by the Authority–

(i) within the period of 12 weeks beginning with the date on which the Authority receives that information or those documents, or

(ii) where the applicant has failed to provide the additional information or documents requested, within the period of 12 weeks beginning with the date mentioned in paragraph 4(1)(b).

Interpretation

6.   In this Schedule–

(a) a reference to the Authority is to the Dental Vocational Training Authority and includes a reference to the secretary, other officer or committee exercising functions on its behalf;

(b) references to the secretary, an officer, a member or a committee are respectively to the secretary of, an officer of, a member of, or a committee of, the Dental Vocational Training Authority.”