Band A dentist

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1. Communication and relationship skills

A band A dentist must ensure a professional and ethical level of communication and confidentiality in their day to day activity encompassing the following areas.

Internal

• To work closely with colleagues in the community dental service and adhere to the appropriate service guidelines and referral guidelines outlined by the service.

External

• To liaise with general medical and dental practitioners, other healthcare professionals, external agencies and organisations in order to achieve the best possible care for patients.

• To liaise with local hospital maxillofacial departments in order to provide well-co-ordinated care for all patients.
• To work closely with the public, patients and their carers in order to maintain a high quality services to our patients.

2. Knowledge, training and experience

A band A primary care salaried dentist should:

• Hold a recognised dental qualification which is registered on the current GDC dental register
• Be active on a dental performers list.
• Have completed FD training or equivalent experience unless exempt.
• Have completed sedation training
• Maintain the necessary national competencies for their post
• Maintain their clinical skills and knowledge base throughout their professional career in accordance with CPD recommendations.
• Have the flexibility and clinical ability to ensure equity of access to patient care.
• Have the ability to work within a dental team
• Have good organisational skills
• Have good interpersonal and communication skills
• Have appropriate IT skills

3. Analytical and judgment skills

The post hold should:

• Organising and monitoring of clinical activity to provide the most appropriate and effective outcomes for patient care.
• Performance management of service. Identify, set and maintain achievement targets.
• Management of practical issues on a daily basis to provide a safe and efficient working environment.

All of the above to be carried out in accordance with MCH policies and procedures.

4. Planning and organisational skills

The post holder should:

• Have well-developed organisational skills working with the clinical lead and network providers.
• Ensure high standard of accessible and appropriate treatment for the child patient and those with additional needs care group.
• Providing assistance and guidance to healthcare colleagues in matters related to the dental care of children and adults with additional needs in the community.
• Facilitate effective treatment in a care network.
• Represent the Dental Service in child and special care dental care matters as appropriate.
• Collaborative working with a variety of community and social care professionals.
• Maintain referral and preventative networks.
• Liaise with the children’s services team to work with parents, carers and education professionals.

5. Physical skills

The post requires highly developed dental skills for assessment and treatment

• To have manual dexterity.
• To be able to undertake clinical procedures which may be time consuming due to the physical, mental or dental needs of the patient
• If necessary, moving and handling of patients from wheelchair to dental chair, either manually or by hoist in line with moving and handling recommendations.
• To have good keyboard skills
• Ability to travel between diverse sites across Medway, West Kent and Swale.

6. Responsibility for patient/client care

• Screening, diagnosis, treatment planning and providing treatment for special needs patients in a variety of settings, including clinics, hospital units and special schools.
• Manage an integrated care pathway.
• Receive referrals from a variety of healthcare professionals. assess appropriately, prioritise.
• Organising and providing care for patients with special needs, including those with medical, physical or mental disabilities.
• Detailed knowledge and application of contemporary methods of providing dental care, with reference to clinical guidelines and standards of practice. Current knowledge of standards in the field and of NICE guidelines.
• Adherence to the standards of practice and ethics required by the GDC and current legislation.
• Adherence to organisation policies on health & safety, diversity, infection control, smoking/ vaping in the workplace. Knowledge of local standards and policies.  General knowledge of organisation and health and safety policy.  Appropriate applications and service development.
• Work closely with staff in other dental specialities in the local health economy to develop seamless care within the population.
• Appropriate use of the dental electronic referral system to ensure appropriate patient care

7. Responsibility for policy and service development implementation

• Organising and monitoring of clinical activity to provide the most appropriate and effective outcomes for patient care.
• Performance management of service. Identify, set and maintain achievement targets.
• Active participation in audit processes and service improvement.

8. Responsibilities for financial and physical resources

        The post holder will:

• Maintain up to date supplies of essential dental materials, pharmacy stock. Re-order as necessary.
• Keeping an up to date record of costings etc.
• Timely and appropriate management of dental claims for patient care provided

9. Responsibilities for human resources (HR)

• To take clinical responsibility for ancillary staff working under his/her supervision to maintain agreed standards.

10. Responsibilities for information resources

• Medway Community Healthcare CIC employees are required to ensure that information about patients is safeguarded to maintain confidentiality and is kept securely in accordance with NHS requirements of 1999. (The caldicott committee’s Report on the review of patient-identifiable information 1997, & HSC/1999/012).  This means that patient information can only be passed to someone else if it contributes to the provision of care or the effective management of health care services within the organisation.
• Record and submit accurate and timely data as required to inform service planning, community profiling and aid local development plans.

11. Responsibilities for research and development (R&D)

• Medway Community Healthcare CIC has adopted a strategy for continuous improvement and all members of staff employed by the organisation are expected to play an active role in development and improving services to the benefit of patients.
• Completion of surveys and audits as required.
• Take responsibility for implementing a practice initiative or project. This could include the provision of training or development of other practitioners.

12. Freedom to Act

        The post holder should:

• Work independently as an autonomous practitioner with overall responsibility for co-ordinating the day to day work of the team.
• Work within defined departmental, professional and organisational protocols, policies and codes of conduct.
• Uses initiative to resolve problems.
• Follow organisation policies and procedures