NHS Lothian
West Lothian Community Health and Care Partnership
Public Dental Service
RAF 1541
DENTAL OFFICER
1.
Outline of the post
There are a variety of duties contained within this post. The job description below gives you
information on the broad range of work carried out by dentists within the Public Dental
Service (PDS). You should use the application form to indicate any areas of clinical work that
particularly interest you, or whether you are happy to be flexible.
You will be part of the Lothian Public Dental Service and the role of the whole service is
outlined in Section 4 of this document.
Section 5, Details of the Post, lists 12 Key Result Areas. Each individual job is made up of a
selection from this list. It is possible to agree a combination of patient groups, but a full time
post would normally include no more than two patient groups. We welcome dentists looking
for part time work; depending on the number of days you work, it is possible that you are
asked to concentrate on a single patient group.
We have an excellent training and induction package for new staff; these jobs would be
suitable both for experienced practitioners from general dental practice or from a salaried
dental service, or for someone looking to develop their experience of dentistry. At the same
time you will be providing an outstanding clinical service for our vulnerable patient groups.
You are strongly advised to contact one or more of the Assistant Clinical Directors named in
Section 5 for an informal discussion about the posts. You would be very welcome if you would
like to visit prior to interview.
2.
NHS Lothian
NHS Lothian is an integrated NHS Board in Scotland providing primary, community,
mental health and hospital services. Mr Tim Davison is Chief Executive and Dr David
Farquharson is Medical Director.
The NHS Board determines strategy, allocates resources and provides governance
across the health system. Services are delivered by Lothian University hospitals division,
the Royal Edinburgh hospital and Associated mental health services, 4 community health
(and social care) partnerships (CH(C)Ps) in City of Edinburgh, West Lothian, East Lothian
and Midlothian, and a Public Health directorate.
NHS Lothian serves a population of 850,000.
2.1 Community Healthcare Partnerships
The four established Lothian Community Health (and Social Care) Partnerships serve the
population of Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian. The Public Service is
hosted by the West Lothian Community Health and Care Partnership, which is based in
the West Lothian Civic Centre, Livingston.
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The CH(C)Ps provide services from large Community Treatment Centres, Health Centres
and Clinics. Dental Services are provided from these locations as well as from a smaller
number of purpose built centres, e.g. Chalmers Dental Centre and Bonnyrigg Dental
Centre.
Hospitals in the CH(C)Ps include:
St Michael’s and Tippethill in West Lothian
The Astley Ainslie Hospital in Edinburgh
Rosslynlee Hospital in Midlothian
Herdmanflat Hospital
Roodlands Hospital in East Lothian.
The four CHPs are coterminous with Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian and West
Lothian Councils bringing together those responsible for planning, managing and
providing community-based health services for the population of Edinburgh and the
Lothians.
There are 7,500 members of staff. In addition, there are approximately 1,000
independent contractors in General Medical and Dental Practice, as well as pharmacists
and opticians. A population of 850,000 people is served across health board area. The
range of services care of the elderly, medical rehabilitation, community mental health,
substance misuse and learning disability, district nursing and health visiting, family
planning, well woman, comprehensive dental care and those provided by Professions
Allied to Medicine, such as physiotherapy, pharmacies and optometrists. Specialist
services provided include brain injury rehabilitation, bio-engineering and prosthetics,
drugs and alcohol misuse and harm reduction, AIDS/HIV and Children and Family
Psychiatric Services.
2.2 Royal Edinburgh hospital and Associated Services
The Royal Edinburgh and Associated Services provides a range of Mental Health
services to the population of Lothian and other Boards within Scotland.
The Royal Edinburgh Hospital is located on the south side of the City of Edinburgh. It
comprises some 20 wards, 420 beds, day hospitals and outpatient facilities. The hospital
provides the following range of specialities:
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Acute Mental Health
Rehabilitation
Psychiatric Emergency Team 24/7
Outpatients
Assessment Phychiatry of Old Age
Forensic Medium Security Unit
Inpatient facilities for under 18s
Psychotherapy Service
Psychology Services
Services for Eating Disorders
Day Hospitals – Psychiatry of Old Age
There are an additional 46 bed and 1 day hospitals for Psychiatry of Old Age in the north
of the city at the Royal Victoria Hospital.
The hospital is currently housed in a mix of accommodation ranging from 19th century to
present. There is a major project now in place to take forward a reprovisioning
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programme in line with the strategic vision with the “Delivery for Mental Health” Scottish
Executive 2006.
2.3 University Hospitals Division
The University Hospitals Division provides a full range of secondary and tertiary clinical services to
the populations of Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian. The Division is one of the
major research and teaching centres in the United Kingdom.
Hospitals included in the Division are:
The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
The Western General Hospital
The Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh
St Johns Hospital
Royal Victoria Hospital
Liberton Hospital
The Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion.
The Royal Infirmary Edinburgh
The Royal Infirmary Edinburgh (RIE) is a major teaching hospital on a green field site in the South
East of the city built in 2003. It comprises 25 wards, 869 beds, and 24 operating theatres, and is
equipped with modern theatre and critical care equipment and monitoring. Within the main building
is a dedicated, multidisciplinary, 5 theatre day surgery complex. The hospital provides for most
specialities and is the centre for:
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General surgery with a focus on the upper GI tract
Vascular surgery
Hepato-biliary and Transplant Surgery
Gastroenterology
The Scottish Liver Transplant Programme
Cardiac and Thoracic surgery
Elective and Trauma Orthopaedics surgery
Neonatology
Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Cardiology
Renal Medicine
Respiratory and Sleep Medicine
Emergency Department and Regional Trauma Centre.
There is a Combined Assessment Unit which takes unselected GP or direct emergency referals, and
from A&E. CAU includes the Dept of Liaison Psychiatry and the Scottish Poisons Bureau and
Treatment Centre. There are full supporting Laboratory and Diagnostic Radiology Services (including
CT, MR, Ultrasound and NM and PET scanning will be available in 2008). There is a full range of
lecture theatres, a library and AV facilities.
It is envisaged that neurosciences and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children will be co-located at the
Royal Infirmary site in 2016.
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Western General Hospital
The Western General Hospital (WGH) has 600 beds and 11 operating theatres and is equipped with
modern theatre and critical care equipment and monitoring. The Anne Ferguson building was
completed in 2001. The hospital provides for most specialties and is the centre for:
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Neurology, Neurosurgery and neuropathology
UK CJD unit
Colorectal Surgery
Urology and Scottish Lithotriptor Centre
Breast Surgery and Breast screening
Gastro-Intestinal disease
Rheumatology
Infectious Diseases
Haematology Oncology
Medical Oncology
Radiation Oncology (including 6 LINACs)
Dermatology (Inpatient)
Medicine of the Elderly/Stroke Medicine
There is an Acute Receiving Unit, which accepts GP referrals and 999 ambulance medical cases on
a zoned basis within the city, and a nurse led Minor Injuries Unit. There is no trauma unit at this
hospital. There are full supporting Laboratory and Diagnostic Radiology Services (including CT, MR,
Ultrasound and NM).There is a full range of lecture theatres, a library and AV facilities.
St John’s Hospital
St John’s Hospital opened in 1989 and is located in the centre of Livingston; a new town about 30
minutes drive west from Edinburgh. The hospital provides for most common specialties but does not
have emergency general surgery or orthopaedic trauma operating. The hospital has a paediatric
ward and is the centre for:
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General Medicine
Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Child Health including Paediatrics and community child health
The supraregional Burns and Plastic Surgery unit.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
ENT
Critical Care (ITU, HDU and CCU)
Accident and Emergency
General Surgery
Orthopaedics
Anaesthetics
Mental Health including ICCU and ICPU
Since 2005 general surgery and orthopaedics have been reconfigured in NHS Lothian with SJH
being developed as a major elective centre for the region. Lothian’s ENT service was relocated to
SJH to create an integrated head and neck unit with OMFS and Plastic Surgery.
Recent developments at SJH include a new endoscopy suite, an Intensive Psychiatric Care Unit, a
digital mammography unit, an oncology (cancer care) day centre, a satellite renal dialysis unit and a
£2.75m reprovision of A&E. There are full supporting Laboratory and Diagnostic Radiology Services
(including CT, Ultrasound and NM).
The hospital has been accredited full teaching hospital status by the University of Edinburgh. There
is a full range of lecture theatres, a library and AV facilities.
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The Royal Hospital for Sick Children (RHSC) is a 141 bedded hospital providing general and
specialist services for children. The hospital is situated in a residential area close to the centre of
Edinburgh and is approximately 3 miles from the site of the New Royal Infirmary and the co-located
University of Edinburgh Medical School and 3 miles from the Western General Hospital. The RHSC
is a 151-bedded Hospital, and is the main paediatric teaching hospital for the South-East of Scotland
providing general and specialised services on a local, regional and national basis. It acts as the local
paediatric referral centre for the children of Edinburgh and surrounding areas, and as a tertiary
referral centre for intensive care patients; gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition; respiratory
medicine; cardiology; nephrology; neurology; oncology; haematology; neonatal surgery; plastic
surgery; orthopaedic surgery; urological surgery and aspects of general surgery.
Hospital accommodation encompasses five theatres, a critical care unit comprising a 6/8 bedded
Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, 4/6 bedded High Dependency Unit and a 3 bedded Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit. There is an excellent library facility and a modern lecture theatre with a full
range of audio-visual equipment.
All services are supported by comprehensive radiology, neurophysiology, laboratory and therapy
services. The local radiology department provides on site Magnetic Resonance Imaging, CT
Scanning, nuclear scanning and ultrasound. On site laboratories provide biochemistry, haematology,
pathology and neuropathology services.
2.4 Department of Public Health Medicine
The Department of Public Health improves the health of the people of Lothian in collaboration with
many other partners including the University of Edinburgh and uses a range of knowledge,
experience and networking capability to monitor and improve health and collate and interpret health
related information.
To enable efficient management of the Department: there are at present four groups in the
Directorate. These are; Healthy Communities, Healthcare; Health Protection and Health Information.
3. University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh was established in 1582 and is one of the largest in the United Kingdom
located on a number of prominent sites in Scotland’s capital city. It is Scotland’s premier research
University and within the top 5 Universities in Europe for its Biomedical Sciences.
The University of Edinburgh’s College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine (CMVM; Head Professor
Sir John Savill) is an internationally leading force in basic-to-clinical translational research. The
College has a consistent 30-year strategy of interdisciplinarity and integration of basic and clinical
sciences. In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (2008), the University of Edinburgh was
top in the United Kingdom within the UoA4 category of Hospital-based Clinical Subjects. In 2008/9,
CMVM attracted over £120 million in external peer-reviewed grant funding.
It has established several major interdisciplinary research Centres:
i. MRC Centre for Inflammation Research (Director, Professor John Iredale)
ii. Centre for Cardiovascular Science (Director, Professor Brian Walker) incorporating the BHF
Centre of Research Excellence (Director, Professor John Mullins)
iii. Centre for Reproductive Biology (Director, Professor Phillipa Saunders) and MRC Human
Reproductive Sciences Unit (Director, Professor Robert Millar) including the Tommy’s Centre
(Director, Professor Jane Norman).
iv. MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine (Director, Professor Sir Ian Wilmut)
v. Centre for Molecular Medicine (Director, Professor David Porteous)
vi. Centre for Cancer Research (Director, Professor David Harrison)
vii. Centre for Population Health Sciences (Director, Professor Harry Campbell)
viii. MRC Human Genetics Unit (Director, Professor Nick Hastie)
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These Centres are predominantly based at two sites: the Queen’s Medical Research Institute at the
Royal Infirmary, and the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine at the Western General
Hospital. The co-location of basic science and clinical groups within state-of-the-art infrastructure and
technology provides an excellent and exciting opportunity to conduct translational research at the
highest level.
This academic power base is supported by clinical research infrastructure that includes:
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Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility
Clinical Research Imaging Centre
Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit (UKCRN Registered) and Health Services Research Unit
Scottish Brain Imaging Research Centre
Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre
Academic and Clinical Central Office for Research and Development
An Academic Department of Critical care Medicine was established within the University of
Edinburgh in 2011 and is led by Professor Timothy Walsh.
4. NHS Library and Postgraduate Facilities
There are excellent facilities on all sites.
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5.
Public Dental Service Information
5.1 The role of the Public Dental Service (PDS) is to:
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Provide dental services, including specialist services, for all those who cannot obtain
this from general dental practice
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Promote oral health
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Inspect selected populations for oral disease
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Provide training for all members of the dental team both pre and post qualification
Patient groups receiving dental treatment are:
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Anyone with a physical or learning disability who has difficulty accessing care in
general dental practice
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Anyone with a medically compromising condition who has difficulty accessing care in
general dental service
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Anyone with a drug or alcohol abuse problem whose condition makes it difficult for
them to access the general dental service
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Any child whose family cannot or will not take them to a dentist
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Anyone with mental illness who has difficulty accessing care in the general dental
practice
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Any patient in hospital
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Anyone in a care home who has difficulty accessing care in general dental practice
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Anyone whose fear of dentistry discourages them from seeking dental treatment
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Homeless people who have difficulty accessing care in general dental practice
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Any patient who is not registered with a dentist and who requires urgent dental care
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6.
Details of the Post
Responsible to:
Assistant Clinical Director
Accountable to:
Clinical Director, Public Dental Service
Personal Development:
The postholder will participate in the Personal Development
and Performance Review process.
Out of hours cover:
The postholder will participate in the Lothian Dental
Out of Hours Scheme.
The postholder will agree with their manager clinical areas for which they will be responsible.
The list below is intended to outline all of the key areas of work in Lothian PDS but an
individual dentist will not be involved in all of these.
Other than for a small number of patient groups (hospital in-patients, prisoners and patients
who require urgent care because of their medical care) clinical care is provided under GDS
regulations and therefore you must be eligible to obtain a list number from NHS Lothian.
Key Result Areas
Each post is tailored to the individual dentist and will
include some, but not all of the Key Result Areas listed below.
Provide care for people of all ages with learning disabilities, physical
disabilities, mental ill health, medically compromising conditions and
dental anxiety.
Provide care for children in areas of deprivation who cannot access
general dental practice.
Provide care for patients who may be drug users, homeless or have
blood borne viruses.
Provide emergency or urgent unscheduled care for adults who are not
registered with a dentist.
Inspect schools for which you are responsible, according to protocols laid
out in the National Dental Inspection Programme, to ensure that children
are offered treatment or referred where appropriate.
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Key Result Areas
Common to all posts
Provide care in a variety of clinical settings including fixed clinics, hospital
clinics and on a domiciliary basis. The postholder will be required to
travel to these settings throughout Lothian.
Develop a team approach towards improving dental health in your area.
Link with other individuals and agencies to this end in order to increase
the dental health knowledge of non-dental colleagues and an
understanding of the role of the PDS.
Contribute to clinical governance and research projects within the Public
Dental Service
Participate in team meetings and dentists’ meetings.
Participate in special projects/initiatives as required.
Participate in the Lothian Out of Hours Scheme. This is likely to mean
working 3 – 4 three hour sessions each year, and 3 – 4 standby
sessions.
Duties of Post
1. Arrange and carry out dental care for allocated patients.
2. Provide domiciliary dental care for patients in the community.
3. Provide dental care using oral, inhalation or intravenous sedation as required, following
appropriate training.
4. Liaise with other health care professionals, social work departments, the voluntary sector
and education departments as appropriate.
5. Assess patients in residential and nursing homes and long stay units.
6. Coordinate and develop a team approach to oral health promotion within allocated clinics,
schools, community settings, hospitals, nursing and residential homes, in liaison with
dental nurses, dental hygienists, oral health promoters and dental health support workers.
7. Manage surgery staff and time to ensure efficient service provision.
8. There may be an opportunity to participate in the training of dentists in the South East
Scotland Dental Foundation Programme.
9. Contribute to clinical effectiveness and research projects within the special care teams.
10. Participate in the Lothian Out of Hours Scheme. This is likely to mean working 2 – 3 three
hour sessions each year.
This job description will be subject to discussion and review annually as part of the Personal
Development and Performance Review Programme.
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ASSISTANT CLINICAL DIRECTORS
Special Care: Karen Gordon and Chris Cunningham
Duncan St. Dental Centre
0131 667 7114
karen.gordon@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
chris.cunningham@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
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7.
Person Specification
CATEGORIES
EXPERIENCE OR QUALITIES SOUGHT FOR THE POST
ESSENTIAL
DESIRABLE
Physical
No restrictions which would affect the ability to
carry out the duties of the post.
Attainments
Dentist – full registration with the General Dental
Council.
Sound, broad ranging diagnostic and clinical
skills.
Satisfactory record of participation in CPD.
VT Number or eligible for a VT number
Attendance at post
graduate courses leading
to the attainment of
advanced clinical skills.
Experience of working with
medically compromised
patients.
Experience of full and
partial prosthodontics.
General intelligence
Common sense.
Aptitude for problem solving.
Special aptitudes
Evidence of good written and verbal
communication and interpersonal skills.
Ability to teach, train and motivate.
Evidence of good working with dental
colleagues, health care and other caring
professionals.
Some understanding of medicine as it relates to
dentistry.
Good presentational skills.
Experience of working with
patients who have special
needs.
Committed to developing
confidence in treating
patients with anxiety and
high treatment needs.
Demonstrated commitment to team working .
Interests
Demonstrated interest in children’s dentistry
Personal involvement in clinical effectiveness
activities.
A desire to develop the role of Dental Care
Professionals.
Disposition
Evidence of interest in
special care dentistry.
Ability to cope with change.
Engaging personality.
Confident, open minded and non-judgemental.
Car driver with valid licence
Able to participate in the dental out of hours rota.
September 2012
Some understanding of
health and social
problems.
Evidence of interest in special care dentistry.
Ability to deal with multiple demands
Circumstances
Membership of relevant
professional societies.
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