Covers the Manchester City, the historical PCTs of North, Central & South Manchester PCTs
Meet the Officers
Don McGrath
Chair
I have worked as a GDP for 35 years in South Manchester caring for patients with many varied needs and expectations.
I strongly believe that we have a professional responsibility to represent the requirements of our patients to achieve what is best for their continuing care. We also need to represent all of our colleagues, in order to prevent any reduction in their pay and working conditions. We must strive to achieve the best deal we can from NHS England.
I joined Manchester LDC 25 years ago and during that period there have been many changes impacting on patients and dentists. I hope that my input has helped support these groups.
I have been the Greater Manchester representative on the national General Dental Practice Committee for the last 8 years. I have endeavoured to represent the interests of our area in a robust and constructive way during this time.
During the last 35 years, I have striven to maintain a substantial loyalty to the NHS.
We are now at a significant cross roads in the way that NHS Dentistry is funded and the possible changes are very concerning.
The Integrated Care System replacing CCG’s will now be responsible for commissioning Dentistry in local areas from the 1st April 2022.
We do not want to get lost in this funding mayhem and want to retain our National Contract but be able to react to local Dental needs and requirements specific to each area.
I am concerned, that we as a profession will be left with a reduced budget that makes our working lives within the NHS family unsustainable.
We need to educate politicians and commissioners on what the issues are in NHS Dentistry. We are not the same as our GP colleagues.
It is important that we engage with all other Primary Care Groups in order to present as unified voice when negotiating with NHS England and our commissioners In Greater Manchester. We have been developing these connections over the last number of hears which mutually benefit all parties.
It is vital, though, that we as Primary Care Dentists do not accept a new contract that leaves us worse off than we are at the moment in respect of terms and conditions.
Jim Rochford
Secretary
I have been working actively in NHS Dental Practices since 1999 (Avalon Care Dental Practice, Levenshulme and Poundswick Lane Dental Practice, Wythenshawe) and became locally engaged as the 2006 contract was imposed. I was invited to join the Manchester LDC in 2006 and became its Secretary in 2007 representing dentists at PCT level and nationally. Merging of PCTs into Greater Manchester Area team and then the Health and Social Care Partnership soon to become the Integrated Care System has required LDCs in Greater Manchester to pool our talents and share platforms leading to the development of the Greater Manchester Federation of LDCs, the GM Dental Provider Board and GM Primary Care Provider Board. Locally we work with commissioners, the Local Dental Network, Healthwatch, committees of the council including the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Health Scrutiny Committee. My particular interests are around business planning within NHS contracts and modelling the impact of changes to business sustainability and autonym. Being a strong voice for dentistry within an integrated care system where the big voices are DOH, NHSE, Secondary Care trusts, GPs and the soon to be appointed Integrated Care Boards is our challenge given how different dentistry is to every other service. Manchester LDC welcomes any and all communication from Dentists in Manchester and would welcome your attendance at any of our meetings.
