Bendigo Dental School recruiting staff

LaTrobe University’s new Dental School at Bendigo continues to recruit staff.
The school is seeking a Year Coordinator in Dentistry/Oral Health and a Convenor of Medicine for Dental Students.
The Coordinator position can be part-time or full-time, with the remuneration ranging from $79,415 to $112,171.
The Convenor position is part-time (20%) with the package pro-rated from $90,629 to $104,502. There is also a clinical loading of $12,474 pro-rata.
The Faculty is also seeking a part-time Support Officer based in Mildura.
Applications for the Bendigo positions close on 5 September and the one in Mildura on 29 August.
For more details and position descriptions, go to the university’s Human Resources page.

Legislative approach to national registration

Public comment has been invited on the approach being taken to the first legislative element in the new national registration and accreditation scheme for the health professions.

That approach is outlined in a paper, which addresses "issues that are supplementary to the Intergovernmental Agreement for a National Registration and Accreditation Scheme for the Health Professions (the IGA), to enable the finalisation of a draft Bill for consideration by Health Ministers."

Following approval by Health Ministers the bill will be introduced into the Queensland Parliament.

Those wishing to comment on this paper, have been asked to lodge a written submission in electronic form, marked "Attention: Practitioner Regulation Subcommittee", at nraip@dhs.vic.gov.au by close of business on Friday, 5 September 2008.

The background to this development was set on 26 March 2008, when COAG signed the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for a National Registration and Accreditation Scheme for the Health Professions.

The IGA can be downloaded from: www.nhwt.gov.au/natreg.asp

According to the Government's information, "the legislative program required to implement the scheme is to be undertaken in three stages:

Stage 1: Preparation and passage of a National Health Practitioners Regulation Bill (Qld) to establish the structural elements of the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme for passage by the Queensland Parliament (‘Bill A’)

Stage 2: Preparation and passage of a Bill to amend the first Act, containing other substantive provisions of the scheme, proposed to be passed by the Queensland Parliament (‘Bill B’), and

Stage 3: Preparation and passage of State and Territory adoption Bills to enable the statutory bodies established under Bill A (as amended by Bill B) to operate within each jurisdiction, and passage of a Commonwealth Bill to amend relevant Commonwealth legislation to recognise the national registration scheme (‘Bills C’). The State and Territory Bills will also contain provisions that repeal existing state registration Acts, and transitional and consequential provisions to give effect to the national scheme. "

Bendigo lecture on regional dentistry

The Head of La Trobe University’s School Dentistry and Oral Health, Professor Peter Wilson, next month will present a public lecture, Regional Dentistry: equity and treatment. He will speak about the structure of the new dental course in Bendigo and the importance of recruiting rural and regional students to serve country Victoria.
The lecture will be held at the McKay Lecture Theatre, La Trobe University, Edwards Rd., Bendigo, on 3 September at 5.45pm. Click here for details.
Attendance will entitle dentists to one CPD hour. To book, ring 5444 7374 or email Bendigo-Events@latrobe.edu.au by 29 August.

MPs persuaded to oppose body piercing

ADAVB’s submission to State Government on its proposed controls for body piercing and tattooing assisted a number of Members of Parliament during the debate on the legislation last week.

Speaking on the Summary Offences Amendment (Tattooing and Body Piercing) Bill, the Attorney-General, Mr Rob Hulls, told the Legislative Assembly: “Dentists oppose oral piercing to the point of calling it a public health hazard; the Australian Dental Association wrote a letter to that effect”.

The legislation makes it an offence for a body piercer to perform an intimate body piercing on a person under 18 and an offence for a body piercer to perform a non-intimate body piercing on a person under 16 without parental or guardian consent. This will not apply to health professionals acting in good faith. It prohibits scarification, tongue splitting, beading and branding (‘like processes’) on persons under 18 years; increases the maximum penalty for the existing offence of tattooing or performing a ‘like process’ on a person aged under 18; and makes it an offence for a body piercer to employ a person under the age of 16 years to perform illegal procedures.

Mr Hulls, Health Minister Mr Daniel Andrews, Mrs Jeanette Powell (National, Shepparton), Ms Fiona Richardson (Labor, Northcote), Mr Nicholas Kotsiras (Liberal, Bulleen), Mr Hugh Delahunty (National, Lowan) and Ms Danielle Green (Labor, Yan Yean) - each speaking for the Bill - all cited the Branch's support for the legislation.