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People wanted to help improve quality standards in NHS dental services

Two members of the public are invited to join a research team, which will carry out research to improve patient safety and quality in NHS dental services.

Background to the research

Unlike other areas of the NHS such as General Practice, the NHS has a limited understanding of what a quality service looks like for dental services. We need to know how to measure quality and how we can improve dental services. We also need to get a better understanding of patient safety in dentistry. We have been invited by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to submit an application for funding to carry out research to investigate these important issues. The research will take place over a 5-year period and aims to produce and test toolkits to improve quality and patient safety in dentistry. There will be a range of people involved in developing the grant application and we want to ensure that members of the public can contribute to the application.

Public co-applicants will work with the research team.  

A co-applicant is someone who works with members of a team to develop research. The co-applicants will be members of the project team and will provide advice on issues such as:

  • what research questions to ask
  • the design of patient questionnaires
  • how best to consult with patients and the public throughout the research
  • interpretation of research findings for a patient’s point of view
  • how best to share research findings with the general public.

How much time will it take?

You will need to be able to attend the Research meeting and the Advisory Group meeting.

  • The Research Team will meet four times a year between 2015 and autumn 2020, with each meeting lasting for 2 to 3 hours.
  • The Advisory Group will meet twice a year for 3 hours.
  • You will need to do some reading before each meeting, which should take approximately 2-3 hours.

 

In addition to the two public members; the Research Team will also include representatives from the University of Manchester, NHS England and Public Health England and independent General dental Practitioners.

Training on how research is managed will be available, if applicants would like to pursue this interest.

If you have any questions about the project and the role of a co-applicant please contact:

  Professor Martin Tickle ()

To apply to be a public member of this research team, please download the information document below and complete the application form.  Return the application form to the address stated