Dentistry.co.uk logo
Search
Members' Area
Username
Password
Remember me
Register free
Forgotten password







News RSS Feed View by: Most Recent | Most Popular | Most Discussed

Dentist's victory in GDC election 'balances' council

1st Dec 2009

Email this story
Email this story
  
Share this story
Digg it Delicious submit to reddit printer-friendly version

Dentist Alison Lockyer has been elected as the new chair of the council of the General Dental Council (GDC).

And for the first time, its make-up evenly reflects the people that provide and receive dental care, with 12 professional members and 12 lay members.

Hustings were held this morning (Tuesday) for all three candidates at the GDC's headquarters on Wimpole Street in London, followed by an election.

Alison Lockyer qualified in Edinburgh in 1980 and works full-time as a primary care dentist.

She is a returning registrant member of the council and was appointed earlier this year by the Appointments Commission after the Council underwent a restructuring to become smaller and fully appointed.

The current chair Hew Mathewson and Alison will discuss and agree the detailed handover timetable.

She will take office as chair on either 1 January 2010 or on the date on which the current chair resigns, by agreement, whichever is earlier.

Hew Mathewson says: 'It's been an immense privilege to lead the General Dental Council for the last six and a half years through a period of enormous change and challenge for everyone in dentistry. I am delighted to be able to handover the position of chair to Alison and hope patients and registrants alike will join me in welcoming her to the role.

'There are more exciting and challenging times ahead for the GDC and Alison, a dentist registrant member of council, brings with her a wealth of leadership experience. Working with the GDC's new interim chief executive I am confident she will do much to strengthen the council's commitment to patient protection.”

Alison Lockyer said: 'I would like to thank Hew for his excellent Presidency, he will be a hard act to follow, but has been an excellent example of how to chair. I am really looking forward to leading this multi-skilled and talented council in public protection.'

Rate this story


Comments

avatar placeholder
I think your headline should be: 'Dentis'ts victory in GDC "election".....'.
The inverted commas to be their as in this "election", I didn't get a vote! No taxation without representation. No surprise that this government prefers 'appointing' members rather than allowing democracy, however. After all, a certain Mr Gordon Brown never had to win a leadership contest for his party, did he? He is very likely to be well-rewarded for being 'foisted' upon the electorate, in the general election - May 2010.
Posted by drstephenmorris 2/12/09 at 16:16
avatar placeholder
.......except for the typo, of course! But you get my drift. Being appointed gives one a lot less legitimacy than being democratically elected.
Posted by drstephenmorris 2/12/09 at 16:24
Please log-in to post comments.



Advertisement