Cochrane Dental Care

A Message from Lord Pickles and Lord Blunkett, followed by Cochrane Dental Care's best practice article

The ability to listen and learn from one another has always been vital in parliament, in business and in most aspects of daily life. But at this particular moment in time, as national and global events continue to reiterate, it is uncommonly crucial that we forge new channels of communication and reinforce existing ones. The following article from Cochrane Dental Care is an attempt to do just that. We would welcome your thoughts on this or any other Parliamentary Review article.

Blunkett signature

Rt Hon The Lord David Blunkett

Pickles signature

Rt Hon The Lord Eric Pickles

www.cochranedental.co.uk

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

32 | COCHRANE DENTAL CARE

Practice Manager Claire

Cochrane and Practice Principal

Paul Cochrane

Practice Principal

PaulCochrane

Cochrane Dental Care offers general dentistry services,

enhanced by postgraduate interests in endodontics and

periodontology. Established in 2016, the practice places

patient care at the centre of all their activities. This commitment

to care is characterised by three key values: integrity, altruism

and excellence. Practice Principal Paul Cochrane discusses

the surgery’s commitment to ethical dental care and how

undergraduate dental education should adopt a stronger focus

on reflection and understanding.

I founded the company in 2016, taking over a practice in Coleraine, on the north

coast of Northern Ireland. We provide comprehensive dental services supported by

tailored dental plans, and we also maintain an NHS provision for children. In terms

of our patients, we are rapidly developing from a traditional NHS base to having an

expanded private focus, which is helping patients to experience modern dental care

that is evidence-based, and which seeks to meet our patients’ expectations. Our

team is made up of seven employees and covers a wide range of clinical interests

and skillsets. The central tenet of our services is a complete focus on the individual

needs of our patients, and reflected in this process are our values of integrity,

altruism and excellence.

Our general dentistry is supported and supplemented by my clinical interest in

endodontics and Marie’s postgraduate studies in periodontology. We seek to use

our practical qualifications and clinical studies to enhance the care we provide while

simultaneously taking the patient on a healthcare journey where their quality outcomes

will always be the priority. While studying, I learnt a great deal about the specifics of

FACTS ABOUT

COCHRANE DENTAL CARE

»Practice Principal: Paul Cochrane

»Established in 2016

»Based in Coleraine, Northern

Ireland

»No. of employees: 7

»Services: General dentistry

with a developing special

interest in endodontics and

periodontics

»www.cochranedental.co.uk

Cochrane Dental Care

BEST PRACTICE SPONSOR 2020

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

32 | COCHRANE DENTAL CARE

Practice Manager Claire

Cochrane and Practice Principal

Paul Cochrane

Practice Principal

PaulCochrane

Cochrane Dental Care offers general dentistry services,

enhanced by postgraduate interests in endodontics and

periodontology. Established in 2016, the practice places

patient care at the centre of all their activities. This commitment

to care is characterised by three key values: integrity, altruism

and excellence. Practice Principal Paul Cochrane discusses

the surgery’s commitment to ethical dental care and how

undergraduate dental education should adopt a stronger focus

on reflection and understanding.

I founded the company in 2016, taking over a practice in Coleraine, on the north

coast of Northern Ireland. We provide comprehensive dental services supported by

tailored dental plans, and we also maintain an NHS provision for children. In terms

of our patients, we are rapidly developing from a traditional NHS base to having an

expanded private focus, which is helping patients to experience modern dental care

that is evidence-based, and which seeks to meet our patients’ expectations. Our

team is made up of seven employees and covers a wide range of clinical interests

and skillsets. The central tenet of our services is a complete focus on the individual

needs of our patients, and reflected in this process are our values of integrity,

altruism and excellence.

Our general dentistry is supported and supplemented by my clinical interest in

endodontics and Marie’s postgraduate studies in periodontology. We seek to use

our practical qualifications and clinical studies to enhance the care we provide while

simultaneously taking the patient on a healthcare journey where their quality outcomes

will always be the priority. While studying, I learnt a great deal about the specifics of

FACTS ABOUT

COCHRANE DENTAL CARE

»Practice Principal: Paul Cochrane

»Established in 2016

»Based in Coleraine, Northern

Ireland

»No. of employees: 7

»Services: General dentistry

with a developing special

interest in endodontics and

periodontics

»www.cochranedental.co.uk

Cochrane Dental Care

33COCHRANE DENTAL CARE |

DENTISTRY

dentistry, yet I often sensed that the

holistic nature of caring for our patients

was perhaps subservient. Dentists

must of course be clinically competent;

however, in addition to this, it is our

focus on the patient as an individual

that complements the care they

receive. Therefore, being a successful

business is important, but even more

crucial is performing our caring role as

members of the healthcare team.

Dentistry is an ethical exercise

Patients always come first and, in my

career thus far, I have witnessed some

practices who simply try to adhere to

standards and neglect the importance

of complete dental care for the patient.

First and foremost, dentistry is an ethical

exercise: as we are trusted by our

patients, it has to be. While preventing

and curing disease is the main focus of

our clinical activities, to be a successful

practitioner in terms of effective and

patient-centred care, we must also

demonstrate ethical competency.

Our ethical obligations are as serious

as the physical act of dentistry. We

take ownership of what we do

and are honest, delivering a total

commitment to our patients to build

these relationships. I always advocate

personal authenticity from the clinician

alongside a strong commitment to

professional responsibility.

Developing genuine

connections

For us, dentistry is not just a job and

commercial self-interest does not

dominate our actions. We always aim

to give more than we receive, and

we have promoted an environment

in which there is a revulsion at self-

interestedness and commercialism. Our

commitment to this supererogation

means that our patients never feel

belittled or sidelined and know they

have our full attention. Ourprofessional

responsibility is manifested in our

attitude towards sector regulation. It

is easy to complain, but there are a

number of reasons why we have the

governance we do, and we embrace

clinical governance and respect the

expectations it places on us as a

carefacility.

We are always fully present for the

patient without distraction. This type of

commitment is a genuine connection of

not merely the continuity of the patient

receiving the same care or seeing the

same dentist, but it is also the patient

receiving support from a professional

that is dedicated to them as individuals.

This brand of engagement aims to be

wholly centred on the patients and

respecting their informed choices.

Developing professionalism

among younger generations

A key interest of ours is grassroots

dentistry. The young graduates of today

have an excellent education in the

theory of dentistry and good supervision

in the practice, but I wonder if they

have had the complete education in

the ethics and professionalism that

connect todentistry.

The profession’s newest colleagues

need to develop and broaden a deep,

ethical reflection and understanding

to support their decision-making.

Collaborative clinicians

focused on patients’ needs

Dentistry is an

ethical

exercise; as

we are trusted

by our

patients, it has

to be

“

“

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

34 | COCHRANE DENTAL CARE

Society expects high standards of

ethical professionalism from graduates

to professors, and while experience

does provide a measure of this, the

newly qualified dentist is not afforded

the opportunity to learn ethics from

mistakes. The risks of failure are too

high to be able to do this, and so I

believe educators and dental schools

need to realise that a complete and

overarching ethical curriculum should

be meaningfully inculcated into the

dental undergraduate experience.

For postgraduates, we need to develop

a strong sense of accountability. We

need to be brave in adopting an

inspiring message that will challenge

people to look at how we can change

the fact that poor dental work can

often go unchallenged and we have

a system of dental care that is at best

outdated and at worst failing the

population. The standard of political

support for dental healthcare reform

in Northern Ireland is at a low, and

without a sitting government, we

cannot achieve meaningful progress.

With this backdrop, I am moving

further away from the NHS as a

practice; however, I know I am able

to provide better care for my patients,

and until there is a government that

puts people’s dental care as a priority,

I will hold to this trajectory. We need

good leaders, and at the moment, they

are simply not there.

I am sure the majority of dentists go

to their places of work to care for

patients; however, I would make

a plea to the future governance of

dentistry that they find a better way

to regulate the dentists who can

perform poorly and then simply walk

away from the profession and into

retirement without recrimination. We

need to find a way to change this in

Northern Ireland, where currently, a

dentist can retire themselves away

from fair accountability, and a patient’s

only recourse is to litigate against

them. This is a deeply unsatisfactory

position to find ourselves in. It sends a

wholly demoralising message to active

dentists engaged in the challenges

of everyday dentistry and promotes a

survival mentality in some colleagues

where retirement is imminent. There is

no substitute for great levels of care,

competence and communication.

The demands of dentistry are real,

as are the responsibilities, and the

way to thrive as a professional is to

embracethem.

There is no

substitute for

great levels

ofcare,

competence and

communication

“

“

The great team behind

our patients’ care

www.cochranedental.co.uk

This article was sponsored by Cochrane Dental Care. The Parliamentary Review is wholly funded by the representatives who write for it. The publication in which this article originally appeared contained the following foreword from Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss.

Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss's Foreword For The Parliamentary Review

By Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss

Even by the standards of the day –this has been one of the most exciting and unpredictable years in British politics.

The leadership election we’ve just seen marks a huge moment in our country’s history. This government is taking a decisive new direction, embracing the opportunities of Brexit and preparing our country to flourish outside the EU.

As international trade secretary, I’ll be driving forward work on the free trade agreements that are going to be a priority for the government. Free trade isn’t just an abstract concept bandied around by technocrats. It is crucial for a strong economy and for the ability of families to make ends meet. Free trade benefits people in every part of our country, as British firms export to new markets and people doing the weekly shop have access to a wider choice of goods at lower prices.

The essence of free trade is in the title: freedom. It’s about giving people the power to exchange their goods without heavy government taxation or interference. Commerce and free exchange are the engine room of prosperity and social mobility. I’m determined to tackle the forces who want to hold that back.

One of my priorities is agreeing an exciting new free trade deal with the US, building on the great relationship between our two countries and the Prime Minister and US President. But I’ll also be talking to other partners including New Zealand, Australia and fast-growing Asian markets.

And with the EU too, we want a friendly and constructive relationship, as constitutional equals, and as friends and partners in facing the challenges that lie ahead – a relationship based on a deep free trade agreement. Our country produces some of the world’s most successful exports, and the opportunity to bring these to the rest of the world should make us all excited about the future. It is this excitement, optimism and ambition which I believe will come to define this government.

For too long now, we have been told Britain isn’t big or important enough to survive outside the EU – that we have to accept a deal that reflects our reduced circumstances. I say that’s rubbish. With the right policies in place, we can be the most competitive, free-thinking, prosperous nation on Earth exporting to the world and leading in new developments like AI. To do that, we’ll give the brilliant next generation of entrepreneurs the tools they need to succeed. Since 2015, there has been a staggering 85 per cent rise in the number of businesses set up by 18 to 24 year olds – twice the level set up by the same age group in France and Germany. We’ll help them flourish by championing enterprise, cutting taxes and making regulation flexible and responsive to their needs.

As we do that, we’ll level up and unite all parts of the UK with great transport links, fibre broadband in every home and proper school funding, so everyone shares in our country’s success.

2019 has been the year of brewing economic and political revolution. 2020 will be the year when a revitalised Conservative government turbo charges the economy, boosts prospects for people across the country, and catapults Britain back to the forefront of the world stage.

Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss
Secretary of State for International Development