Key Points
The aims of the scheme were to:
-
Improve accessibility and appropriateness of primary dental care services for ethnic minorities.
-
Improve communication between the practice team and patients thus improving diagnosis, treatment planning and compliance.
-
Deepen the dental team's understanding of Muslim culture and religion.
-
Provide members of the local Asian communities with work-related skills as well as giving them confidence, pride and satisfaction in their work.
-
Address required NatPaCT competencies for primary care trusts in equality and diversity.
Abstract
The primary dental care services in Oldham, Greater Manchester have established an innovative scheme to encourage diversity in primary dental care services. The scheme involves the recruitment of bilingual trainee dental nurses in order to improve accessibility and appropriateness of the services and to improve communication with Pakistani and Bangladeshi patients. The scheme has raised a number of issues for trainees, existing staff and management. However all groups evaluated the scheme as worthwhile. Achievements of the scheme include better communication, better understanding of different ethnic communities among the staff and increased confidence and employability of trainees. It is recommended that similar schemes be adopted for primary dental care and other health services in areas with significant ethnic minority populations.
Similar content being viewed by others
Log in or create a free account to read this content
Gain free access to this article, as well as selected content from this journal and more on nature.com
or
References
NHS Modernisation Agency. NATPaCT organisational competency framework. London: Department of Health, 2002.
Nazroo J . The health of Britain's ethnic minorities. London: Policy Studies Institute, 1997.
Census data. London: Office of National Statistics. 2001.
Unpublished data collected by Oldham Community Dental Service as part of BASCD Co-ordinated Survey of 5 year old children in 1999-00.
Mares P, Henley A, Baxter C . Health care in multiracial Britain. London: Health Education Council, 1985.
Connexions 2003. www.connexions.gov.uk
City and Guilds and National Examining Board for Dental Nurses. NVQ Oral Healthcare. London: City and Guilds, 2000.
Martin M.V . Dailey Y . Benchtop autoclaves: Are you looking after your water reservoirs properly? Br Dent J 2001; 191: 622–624.
Ritchie J . Oldham Independent Panel Review. London: Guardian Unlimited, 2001.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Refereed Paper
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fuller, S., Bridgman, C. A scheme to recruit Pakistani and Bangladeshi trainee dental nurses in a multiethnic area of Greater Manchester. Br Dent J 197, 185–187 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4811566
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4811566
This article is cited by
-
The role of the dental team in promoting health equity
British Dental Journal (2014)
