Speakers
Christina Ferry, Chair of Conference of Scottish LDCs
Welcome to Conference and Opening Remarks
Christina Ferry qualified from Glasgow Dental Hospital in 2008 and is the owner of a busy mixed NHS/Private practice in Lanarkshire. She is currently Chair of the Conference Agenda Committee having taken over from Lindsay Milton at the 2023 conference. She is Chair of Lanarkshire Local Dental Committee & GP Subcommittee having joined in 2014. She also stands on Lanarkshire Area Dental Advisory Committee; Lanarkshire Quality Improvement Committee and has been involved in setting up the Lanarkshire Oral Surgery Study group.
David McColl, Chair of the Scottish Dental Practice Committee
The work of the Scottish Dental Practice Committee 2023-2024
David McColl is the Chair of the Scottish Dental Practice Committee (SDPC) and Vice Chair of the GP Sub-committee of Greater Glasgow and Clyde Local Dental Committee. He also sits on the Area Dental Committee of Greater Glasgow and Clyde LDC and is on the Board of the Scottish Public Pensions Authority (SPPA).
Anas Sarwar, Leader of the Scottish Labour Party
Scottish Labour’s vision for NHS Dentistry in Scotland
Anas Sarwar is leader of the Scottish Labour Party and MSP for Glasgow. Born in Glasgow in 1983, he studied dentistry at the University of Glasgow and worked as a dentist in the NHS in Paisley for five years prior to becoming a parliamentarian. Anas was first elected as an MP for Glasgow Central in 2010 and was elected as deputy leader of Scottish Labour just one year later. In 2016 he was elected to the Scottish Parliament as MSP for Glasgow and re-elected in 2021.
He served in the Shadow Cabinet as Scottish Labour’s health and social care spokesperson and constitution spokesperson and was elected leader of the party in 2020. In parliament, he has established an expert-led workforce commission to tackle the staffing crisis in the health service, led the campaign to end the NHS pay cap, and exposed the truth behind the water infection scandal at Glasgow’s largest hospital. After speaking about the racism he faced throughout his life, Anas established the Scottish Parliament's Cross-Party Group on Tackling Islamophobia and led a campaign against hatred and intolerance. He is a proud member of the GMB and the Co-operative Party.
Outside of parliament, Anas has worked on a number of charitable projects, founding Glasgow Cares and served as voluntary president of the Sarwar Foundation. He arranged for ambulances to travel the Greek island of Lesbos to support Syrian refugees, runs an annual a toybank to provide Christmas gifts for children who would otherwise receive nothing, and has supported projects for homeless people in Glasgow.
Jenni Minto, Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health
What’s next for NHS Dentistry in Scotland?
Jenni was born in Elgin and brought up in St Andrews, she returned to the north east
to study accountancy at Aberdeen University and then qualified as a Chartered
Accountant. Following this she moved to Glasgow to work at BBC Scotland working
in many different programme areas over 18 years including helping to establish BBC
Alba.
Jenni has since moved to Islay, where she volunteered for charities including the
Islay Energy Trust, playing a key role in establishing a community wind turbine on
the island; and worked as manager of the Museum of Islay Life. Jenni chaired WW1
commemorations on Islay in 2018, which included over 40 events involving all
elements of the community.
As MSP for Argyll and Bute, Jenni has contributed to three parliamentary committees and held membership on 15 cross party groups. Her campaign for the removal of VAT from defibrillators received cross-party support in the Scottish Parliament.
Gordon Matheson CBE, Head of Scottish Affairs, GDC
An update from the GDC for General Dental Practitioners in Scotland
Gordon Matheson CBE has been Head of Scottish Affairs at the General Dental Council (GDC) since January 2020. In this role, he leads on stakeholder engagement in Scotland and ensures that GDC policy developments are fully informed by the distinct Scottish context. He is a member of the leadership team within GDC’s Strategy directorate.
Previously, Gordon was Leader of Glasgow City Council, during which time the city hosted the acclaimed 2014 Commonwealth Games. He also served as Bailie, Justice of the Peace, Executive Member for Education and City Treasurer.
In 2016, Gordon was appointed visiting professor at Strathclyde University’s Institute for Future Cities and honorary professor at Glasgow Caledonian University. He has also led the government affairs and policy functions in Scotland for two UK charities, RNIB and Cancer Research UK.
Stefan Czerniawski, Executive Director of Strategy, GDC
An update from the GDC for General Dental Practitioners in Scotland
Stefan joined the GDC as the Executive Director, Strategy in October 2019 and is responsible for policy and research, communications and engagement, and quality assurance of dental education. He was previously a civil servant with experience in a wide range of senior leadership roles across policy, strategy and organisational change.
Shawn Charlwood, Chair of the BDA General Dental Practice Committee
An update from England
Shawn Charlwood graduated from Birmingham Dental School in 1986 and has postgraduate dental qualifications form the University of Bristol and the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners UK. He owned a large mixed practice for twenty-five years and was a Foundation trainer for over twenty years. He had previously held postgraduate positions at the Manchester Dental School and at the Manchester Royal Infirmary Maxillo-Facial Dept, as well as being an officer in the Royal Army Dental Corps TA for five years.
He has been on the GDPC for 15 years and is now Chair, having previously served as Vice Chair GDPC, Chair of the GDPC Remuneration Sub-Committee and Chair of the GDPC Private Practice Committee. He also currently sits on the GDPC-LDC Regional Liaison Group, GDPC Associates Group and the BDA’s Review Body Evidence Committee and the British Dental Guild. He was previously the Chair of Lincolnshire LDC, which he has been a member of for 25 years.
He has now given evidence to the House of Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee on two separate occasions: first giving evidence on Dental workforce in 2022 and on NHS Dentistry in 2023. He has represented the profession on multiple occasions on national TV and Radio including BBC Breakfast TV, the Radio 4 Today programme and Radio 5 Live as well as many other regional programmes.
Ciara Gallagher, Chair of the BDA Northern Ireland Dental Practice Committee
An update from Northern Ireland
Ciara Gallagher is Chair of NIDPC for the 2022-25 triennium. Ciara qualified as a dentist from the University of Birmingham in 1996, working in Nottingham and Birmingham for 2 years before coming home to NI. She is now the sole owner of a seven surgery dental practice in Downpatrick, where family NHS dentistry and high quality private implant and cosmetic dentistry sit comfortably side by side. Having worked in NHS dentistry for more than twenty years Ciara has felt first-hand the rising pressures of providing quality NHS care under an increasingly pinched budget.
Russell Gidney, Chair of the BDA Wales General Dental Practice Committee
An update from Wales
Russell qualified from Cardiff in 2002 and has worked in Southeast Wales ever since. He completed VT then worked as an associate for five years in Caldicot before moving to a new practice in Chepstow in 2007, initially as an associate and as owner since 2009. Beaufort Park Dental Surgery in Chepstow is a mixed practice and has grown from four to six surgeries and been a DFT practice since 2015. The practice is roughly 50:50 split NHS/private and includes some special interest dentistry alongside routine GDP. Russell also works as a clinical supervisor in Cardiff Dental School one day a week. Russell joined Gwent LDC in 2015 and quickly became treasurer. He has since joined the LDC Conference Agenda Committee and sits on Welsh GDPC, of which he has been Chair since April 2021.
Gillian Wylie, Strictly Confidental
Address from conference Platinum Sponsor
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Elizabeth Glass, Conference Treasurer
Conference Accounts and Treasurer’s Report
Elizabeth Glass, known as Liz, qualified from the University of Glasgow in 1986. She has been a committee member of Greater Glasgow and Clyde Local Dental Committee since the late 1980s and has attended all Scottish LDC Conferences since their inception in 1999 following Devolution. Liz chaired the Scottish LDC Conference in 2008 and 2009 and has served as Treasurer since 2011, taking over from Frank Angell on his retirement from dental politics. In 2020 she modernised the operation of the Conference bank account, moving to online banking, with the facility for all payments to be counter-authorised by Chair or Chair-Elected, as laid down in standing orders.
Roy McBurnie, Derek Harper and Jim Law, The Scottish Dental Fund
Report from The SDF Board of Management
Report from The Board of Management with Audited Accounts for 2023/2024. Presented by the SDF Chair Roy McBurnie, Treasurer Derek Harper and SDF member Jim Law.