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Dept of Health

Answer

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to offer training programmes to prospective clinical dental technicians; and how long the training programmes will take to complete; [161298] (2) whether the General Dental Council will accept qualifications received (a) outside the UK and (b) outside the EU as valid training for the role of clinical dental technician; [161299] (3) how long the process of registering as a clinical dental technician will take; [161300] (4) when the first UK trained clinical dental technician will be able to practise in the UK. [161301] Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department is working with the General Dental Council (GDC) to provide for the registration of appropriately trained clinical dental technicians (CDTs). An Order to amend the Dentists Act 1984 is being drafted under Section 60 of the Health Act 1999 which, after the necessary consultations, will be laid before Parliament later this year for debate under the affirmative procedure. The GDC will then decide which qualifications will make clinical dental technicians eligible for registration, what account should be taken of any training acquired overseas and the timetable for implementation of the new arrangements. It should be possible for registration to commence in 2005. When the qualifications required are established, we will alert national health service workforce development confederations to the training requirements for this new class of professional complementary to dentistry.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

419 c387W;419 c389W; 161298;161299;161300;161301

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Dental services Qualifications Registration Training General Dental Council Technicians

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk