Quality management visits take place in both primary and secondary care. The majority of visits are focused on individual local education providers (LEPs). LEPs encompass any department or site within a Health Board that delivers medical education and training on behalf of the Scottish Deanery, for example; a single speciality department within a certain hospital or general practice surgery. Occasionally visits examining an entire specialty training programme across a geographical area occur. These visits can be regional or national depending on the size of the specialty.

Quality Management Reviews are undertaken for secondary care locations.

The majority of Reviews are focused on individual Local Education Providers, or LEP’s. A LEP encompasses any department or site within a Health Board that delivers dental education and training on behalf of the Scottish Deanery, for example; a single speciality department within a certain hospital.

Due to the small numbers of dental core and specialty trainees located across Scotland, the Dental Directorate normally aim to include all relevant trainees and training programmes operating at a LEP when undertaking a Review. This is in order to maximise the efficiency of the review and minimise any disruptions to clinical time and service delivery that could arise from a series of reviews to individual specialties at the location.

Circumstances may arise where it is deemed more appropriate to only review a specific specialty or specialties at a LEP, and this will be at the discretion of the Dental Directorate.

Reviews examining an entire specialty training programme across a geographical area may also occur. These Reviews can be regional or national depending on the size of the specialty.

Each LEP and training programme will be reviewed as part of the Dental Directorate Quality Management Framework at least once every three years, as part of a regular quality assurance cycle (scheduled reviews). A Review outside this cycle may be triggered, or a re-review arranged, should there be any concerns raised during the annual Quality Review Panel (QRP)

Quality Review Panels

At the annual QRP, information relating to the quality of each training post within the Training Specialty is scrutinised. This information includes data from any trainee surveys such as the GDC national trainee survey, the NES Scottish Trainee Survey (STS), Annual Review of Competence (ARCP) outcomes, written reports from the relevant Training Programme Directors (TPDs), any relevant Health Board input from Directors or Dentistry or Directors of Medical Education (DMEs), as well as local knowledge provided by QRP members. All this intelligence is reviewed and discussed to enable the QRP to decide on whether a Quality Management Review of a LEP is indicated, and if required, within what timescale. 

Dental QRP Infomatic

Information and intelligence considered at annual quality review panel to decide if a quality management visit is required.

QRP Outcomes

Potential outcomes following discussion at annual quality review panel

Individuals participating on a quality management visit on behalf of NES are referred to as panel members. The number of individuals on a panel can vary from 6 to 11 depending on the type of visit. The role of the various panel members is listed below: a