Specialist in Special Care Dentistry

Main area Community Dental Grade NHS Medical & Dental: Salaried Dentist – C Contract Fixed term: 6 months (.) Hours Part time – 22.5 hours per week Job ref 249-7608262

Employer Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Swindon Health Centre Town Swindon Salary £97,769 – £112,360 Per Annum Pro Rata Salary period Yearly Closing 01/02/2026 23:59

Specialist in Special Care Dentistry

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a unique organisation, serving as the sole integrated provider in the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire system. Our scope extends beyond boundaries as we oversee adult community services in Swindon and provide acute care from the Great Western Hospital.

Our 5,500 staff have 1.2m patient contacts a year, with 13,000 operations carried out in our Theatres, around 4,000 babies born, and our emergency attendances are now well over 100,000 per year. Those numbers only tell part of our story about what an exciting time it is to join Great Western Hospitals.

We are cultivating a culture that fosters our ambitions, prioritising equality, diversion, inclusion, wellbeing, and leadership. We aim to create an environment where every member of our team can truly thrive.

The Trust is a Disability Confident Employer; all applicants who have a disability can opt to be considered under the guaranteed interview scheme, which means that, providing they meet the minimum essential criteria for the post, they will be offered an interview. We are also proudly accredited as a Veteran Aware organisation and have signed The Armed Forces Covenant.

If we receive a high volume of applications, we may close adverts prior to the published closing date. Therefore, we advise you to complete and submit your application as soon as possible.

Job overview

Specialist in Special Care Dentistry – 22.5hrs Per Week

Fixed Term Contract – 6 Months

We are looking for an enthusiastic Dentist to join our existing team, providing Special Care Dentistry to meet the needs of adults in the local community in Swindon.

You should be innovative, flexible and committed to working in a team environment while providing high standards of clinical care. Dental care may be provided in community, hospital or domiciliary settings and a flexible approach will be required in responding to the clinical care needs of these patients. The post holder will take a clinical leadership role in special care dentistry within the CDS team, including training and support to other members of the team, including foundation dentists and Specialist trainees. The applicant must be GDC registered and be eligible for a performer number. You should be on the GDC Specialist list in Special Care Dentistry.

The post holder will be required to work 8:30- 17:00, with one hour for lunch, 3 days per week. Our Community Dental Service has 4 dental clinics, within Wiltshire & Swindon. Because we work in domiciliary settings and within main hospitals the use of a motor vehicle is essential.

We welcome an informal contact from you (telephone calls, visits, meeting colleagues) in advance of your application. In the first instance please contact Lucy McArthur, Clinical Director on 01249 456598 or by email on gwh.dentaladmin.teamoffice@nhs.net

Main duties of the job

The post holder will take a clinical role in Special Care Dentistry within Wiltshire and Swindon, including support to other members of the dental team for a 6 month period.

The post holder will be responsible for the provision of specialist clinical dental care to adults with additional and complex needs. This may include providing comprehensive dental care under general anaesthesia where appropriate.

Dental care may be provided in community, hospital or domiciliary settings and a flexible approach will be required in responding to the clinical care needs of these patients. The post holder will be supported by a reflective, professional and supportive leadership team, working closely with the Clinical Director, Assistant Clinical Director, and Specialist Colleagues in Chippenham, Swindon and Salisbury, to offer gold standard Special Care Dentistry to the population of Wiltshire and Swindon.

Working for our organisation

Our STAR values are at the heart of everything we do. You can expect to see them in the way we act and the way we treat each other. Our values make us who we are.

Service We will put our patients first

Teamwork We will work together

Ambition We will aspire to provide the best service

Respect We will act with integrity

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1.To provide high quality specialist oral health care for adults with additional needs in a variety of settings, including clinics, hospitals and domiciliary settings. This will include treatment of people with learning difficulties, mental health problems and challenging behaviour, complex medical histories, mobility problems, sensory disabilities, frail older people and other adults who fall within the treatment remit.

2.The post holder will take clinical leadership role, supporting local teams with complex cases and providing care to complex patients internally referred by colleagues.

3.To undertake clinical duties, demonstrating and maintaining the competencies identified for a Band C specialist, set out in the Salaried Dentist terms and conditions of service.

4.To support and mentor other special care clinicians within the service, including accepting referrals, assisting in treatment planning and where necessary provision of dental care.

5.The Base for this post is Swindon. However, from time to time there will be a requirement to attend other clinics in the Wiltshire and Swindon area to provide Specialist opinion and treatment.

6.Patient management and dental care of patients requiring advanced behavioural management techniques and where appropriate sedation and general anaesthesia. This may include involvement in GA lists at Great Western Hospital, Swindon. There may be occasions when GA cover is also required for GA lists at the Royal United Hospital, Bath and Salisbury District hospital, Salisbury.

7.Keep comprehensive contemporaneous clinical record in the computerised software system and familiarity with computerised notes systems and use of VDUs is essential. Complete statistical returns to monitor the services provided.

Please find attached a full job description and person specification

Person specification

Qualifications

• A Primary Dental Qualification
• Full registration with General Dental Council.
• On Specialist list for Special Care Dentistry or within 6 months of inclusion.

Experience

• Recent clinical experience in all aspects of Special care Dentistry.
• Experience in provision of dental treatment under General Anaesthesia.
• Experience of use of and provision of dental care under all appropriate conscious sedation techniques.
• Experience in the dental management of medically compromised patients.
• Experience of working in different environments; hospital, community and general dental services
• Experience of provision of care in domiciliary settings

Knowledge

• Current NHS performer number.
• Knowledge of wider NHS legislation and governance as it applies to dental specialties

Thank you for expressing interest in this role. For further employer guidance, please review the attached supplementary applicant information.

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used, then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications, subject to eligibility of the role for a skilled worker visa and salary requirements. Not all roles in the Trust are eligible for sponsorship.

Eligibility for this role requires:

• Current right to work in the UK, subject to verification.
• Qualification of the eligibility sponsorship criteria

Current employees should be aware that this position is advertised as a Great Western Hospitals position and appointment ends any TUPE protection.

Candidates are responsible for covering the cost of their own DBS check if required: £21.50 for a Standard DBS check, recoverable from the first pay, or £49.50 for an Enhanced DBS check, divided and recoverable over the initial two pay periods. Payment for DBS checks for bank posts must be settled prior to commencement. Apprentices are exempt from DBS payment.

We are committed to supporting our staff in achieving a healthy work-life balance through flexible work arrangements. Upon joining the Trust, you have the right to request flexible working, with an unlimited number of requests allowed.

Upon acceptance of a job offer, your information will be transferred to the national NHS Electronic Staff Records System. All communication regarding your application will be conducted via email; please ensure to check your junk/spam folders as emails may occasionally be filtered there.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.