Take the plunge! Stepping into practice management

The latest changes within dentistry bring massive opportunities to dental nurses with management aspirations. This article looks at the how to access these opportunities, as well as the skills and experience needed to make the most of these opportunities.

An important factor in the development of management roles in dentistry was the enactment of the Health and Social Care Act 2008. The Act required the introduction of regulating bodies for each of the four countries of the UK.

The Care Quality Commission was appointed in England to set and measure stringent quality standards and provide guidance to providers, to ensure that high quality care is delivered. The standards currently in place are the Fundamental Standards introduced in 2015. At this time, a comprehensive assessment system for measuring care quality, the Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOE), was introduced and then revised in April 2018.