News brief
Honours
HRH King Charles sanctions the admission of Lt Col Alistair Mountain as Member of the Order of St John
Lt Col Alistair Mountain
Lt Col Alistair Mountain
The College is delighted to announce that His Majesty the King has sanctioned the admission of RCSEd Council Member Lt Col Alistair Mountain as a member of the Order of St John.
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, known as the Order of St John, is an order of chivalry constituted in 1888 by royal charter from Queen Victoria.
Mountain holds the position of National Clinical Director on RCSEd Council and is also a Military Regional Surgical Adviser for the College. He trained at the University of Birmingham Medical School from 1987 to 1994 and began his surgical training at the Royal Hospital Haslar in 1998. His higher training took place in the northern training programme in the North East of England.
In 2009, Mountain gained the Fellowship of the RCSEd qualification in Trauma and Orthopaedics. After receiving his certificate of completion of training, he was appointed a consultant at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham in 2010. He has been the National Clinical Director of the European Trauma Course since 2015. Mountain is also the International Chair of the ETCO Course Management Committee.
Dental
RCSEd announces new dental membership benefit
The College has launched ProDental CPD, a new dental membership benefit.
ProDental CPD will provide access to accredited continuing professional development resources for Dental Fellows and members. The platform will feature videos, e-learning modules and interactive assessments developed by leading dental professionals.
Access to ProDental CPD will be free for Dental Fellows and members. Members will also have the opportunity to use the ProDental CPD resources at their own pace as the platform prioritises flexibility and accessibility.
Users will benefit from regular webinars hosted by ProDental CPD and will be able to create individual development plans. The course categories available on ProDental CPD include endodontics, orthodontics, implants and clinical governance.
Launching ProDental CPD as a benefit for members reflects the College’s aim to promote quality in dental care and support dental professionals in their learning and development.
Professor Grant McIntyre, Dean of the RCSEd Faculty of Dental Surgery, acknowledged the importance of CPD and how the UK General Dental Council prioritises it.
“As dentists and dental-care professionals, we are all aware of the importance of continuing professional development, not only for the quality of care for our patients but also for our own career progression,” he explained. “Mandatory CDP has been a UK General Dental Council requirement for many years and has become routine. However, the Faculty is aware that this is not the case everywhere around the world.”
Professor McIntyre also praised the ProDental CPD platform and lauded the involvement of RCSEd Faculty of Dental Surgery members in creating its content.
“ProDental CPD is a fantastic platform providing the comprehensive ongoing CPD needs for everyone involved in clinical dentistry,” he continued.
“It offers a remarkable collection of educational information from a wide range of experts, many of whom are members of the RCSEd Faculty of Dental Surgery. You will recognise many familiar faces.”
Scan the QR code to find out more.
Dental Faculty
College Faculty of Dental Trainers appoints Professor James Field Chair
Professor James Field
Professor James Field
The RCSEd Faculty of Dental Trainers (FDT) has named Professor James Field its Chair. The announcement comes after the recruitment process closed in April.
Field is a Professor of Dental Education and Restorative Dentistry based in the University Dental Hospital in Cardiff.
He has been engaged with the delivery of education for more than 20 years. Professor Field was involved in the inaugural FDT Standards Committee and also helped to develop the original Standards for Dental Trainers. In addition, he heads the taskforce for the Association for Dental Education in Europe’s Graduating European Dentist curriculum.
Professor Field has also received a number of awards, including the Principal Fellowship of Advance HE, a National Teaching Fellowship and Fellowship with the Academy of Medical Educators.
In his educational research, Professor Field’s interests include the use of simulation, reflective practice, resilience and coping, and curriculum reform.
Professor Grant McIntyre, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery, welcomed the appointment.
“I am delighted that Professor James Field has been appointed to the role of Faculty of Dental Trainers Chair and look forward to working with James to nurture, promote, advocate and support everyone involved in dental training,” he said. “James has a substantial pedigree in dental training and brings a richness of experience and enthusiasm to the role.”
Meanwhile, Dr Sarah Manton stepped down from the role of Director of the FDT last month. She had held the role since the FDT’s inception in 2016.
As well as her role as Director, Dr Manton was also an examiner and Deputy Chair for the Advisory Board for the Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery examination. In addition, she was Vice Dean for the Faculty of Dental Surgery from 2014 to 2018.
The RCSEd said Dr Manton left a “substantial legacy” and “inspired the training journeys for countless members of the dental team”.
Mental Health
RCSEd marks Mental Health Awareness Week 2025
Mental Health Awareness ribbon
Mental Health Awareness ribbon
As part of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, the College reminded members of the mental health resources it has available.
Mental Health Awareness Week took place from 12 to 18 May. This year’s theme was ‘The Power and Importance of Community.’
To mark the occasion, the College collated its mental health resources in one blog post so members could see the wellbeing support the College has available.
These resources include the RCSEd SupportEd Hub. This is a platform dedicated to individuals working in dental and surgical teams, as well as organisations that deliver surgical services.
The RCSEd SupportEd Hub offers resources to help medical professionals deal with pressures in their careers, ranging from mental health to work–life balance to professional development. It also offers members confidential support and expert guidance.
The College also signposted Global CARE. Through Global CARE, the College invests in surgical and dental capacities in low- and middle-income countries to help create sustainable healthcare communities. In turn, this supports the mental and physical health of patients and healthcare providers.
Global CARE supports three main areas of activity: projects in low- and middle-income countries, individual training support and RCSEd-led educational initiatives.
The College’s #LetsRemoveIt campaign also featured as a mental health support resource. The campaign was launched in 2017 and aspires to eradicate bullying, undermining and sexual misconduct within surgery.
#LetsRemoveIt provides resources including online learning, posters and presentations. A new performance workshop, ‘How to Survive and Thrive as a Surgeon’, is also now available, focusing on educating surgeons on how to build and support successful teams.
Scan the QR code to find out more about RCSEd’s support for Mental Health Awareness Week.
Honours
HRH King Charles sanctions the admission of Lt Col Alistair Mountain as Member of the Order of St John
Lt Col Alistair Mountain
Lt Col Alistair Mountain
The College is delighted to announce that His Majesty the King has sanctioned the admission of RCSEd Council Member Lt Col Alistair Mountain as a member of the Order of St John.
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, known as the Order of St John, is an order of chivalry constituted in 1888 by royal charter from Queen Victoria.
Mountain holds the position of National Clinical Director on RCSEd Council and is also a Military Regional Surgical Adviser for the College. He trained at the University of Birmingham Medical School from 1987 to 1994 and began his surgical training at the Royal Hospital Haslar in 1998. His higher training took place in the northern training programme in the North East of England.
In 2009, Mountain gained the Fellowship of the RCSEd qualification in Trauma and Orthopaedics. After receiving his certificate of completion of training, he was appointed a consultant at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham in 2010. He has been the National Clinical Director of the European Trauma Course since 2015. Mountain is also the International Chair of the ETCO Course Management Committee.
Dental
RCSEd announces new dental membership benefit
The College has launched ProDental CPD, a new dental membership benefit.
ProDental CPD will provide access to accredited continuing professional development resources for Dental Fellows and members. The platform will feature videos, e-learning modules and interactive assessments developed by leading dental professionals.
Access to ProDental CPD will be free for Dental Fellows and members. Members will also have the opportunity to use the ProDental CPD resources at their own pace as the platform prioritises flexibility and accessibility.
Users will benefit from regular webinars hosted by ProDental CPD and will be able to create individual development plans. The course categories available on ProDental CPD include endodontics, orthodontics, implants and clinical governance.
Launching ProDental CPD as a benefit for members reflects the College’s aim to promote quality in dental care and support dental professionals in their learning and development.
Professor Grant McIntyre, Dean of the RCSEd Faculty of Dental Surgery, acknowledged the importance of CPD and how the UK General Dental Council prioritises it.
“As dentists and dental-care professionals, we are all aware of the importance of continuing professional development, not only for the quality of care for our patients but also for our own career progression,” he explained. “Mandatory CDP has been a UK General Dental Council requirement for many years and has become routine. However, the Faculty is aware that this is not the case everywhere around the world.”
Professor McIntyre also praised the ProDental CPD platform and lauded the involvement of RCSEd Faculty of Dental Surgery members in creating its content.
“ProDental CPD is a fantastic platform providing the comprehensive ongoing CPD needs for everyone involved in clinical dentistry,” he continued.
“It offers a remarkable collection of educational information from a wide range of experts, many of whom are members of the RCSEd Faculty of Dental Surgery. You will recognise many familiar faces.”
Scan the QR code to find out more.
Dental Faculty
College Faculty of Dental Trainers appoints Professor James Field Chair
Professor James Field
Professor James Field
The RCSEd Faculty of Dental Trainers (FDT) has named Professor James Field its Chair. The announcement comes after the recruitment process closed in April.
Field is a Professor of Dental Education and Restorative Dentistry based in the University Dental Hospital in Cardiff.
He has been engaged with the delivery of education for more than 20 years. Professor Field was involved in the inaugural FDT Standards Committee and also helped to develop the original Standards for Dental Trainers. In addition, he heads the taskforce for the Association for Dental Education in Europe’s Graduating European Dentist curriculum.
Professor Field has also received a number of awards, including the Principal Fellowship of Advance HE, a National Teaching Fellowship and Fellowship with the Academy of Medical Educators.
In his educational research, Professor Field’s interests include the use of simulation, reflective practice, resilience and coping, and curriculum reform.
Professor Grant McIntyre, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery, welcomed the appointment.
“I am delighted that Professor James Field has been appointed to the role of Faculty of Dental Trainers Chair and look forward to working with James to nurture, promote, advocate and support everyone involved in dental training,” he said. “James has a substantial pedigree in dental training and brings a richness of experience and enthusiasm to the role.”
Meanwhile, Dr Sarah Manton stepped down from the role of Director of the FDT last month. She had held the role since the FDT’s inception in 2016.
As well as her role as Director, Dr Manton was also an examiner and Deputy Chair for the Advisory Board for the Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery examination. In addition, she was Vice Dean for the Faculty of Dental Surgery from 2014 to 2018.
The RCSEd said Dr Manton left a “substantial legacy” and “inspired the training journeys for countless members of the dental team”.
Mental Health
RCSEd marks Mental Health Awareness Week 2025
Mental Health Awareness ribbon
Mental Health Awareness ribbon
As part of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, the College reminded members of the mental health resources it has available.
Mental Health Awareness Week took place from 12 to 18 May. This year’s theme was ‘The Power and Importance of Community.’
To mark the occasion, the College collated its mental health resources in one blog post so members could see the wellbeing support the College has available.
These resources include the RCSEd SupportEd Hub. This is a platform dedicated to individuals working in dental and surgical teams, as well as organisations that deliver surgical services.
The RCSEd SupportEd Hub offers resources to help medical professionals deal with pressures in their careers, ranging from mental health to work–life balance to professional development. It also offers members confidential support and expert guidance.
The College also signposted Global CARE. Through Global CARE, the College invests in surgical and dental capacities in low- and middle-income countries to help create sustainable healthcare communities. In turn, this supports the mental and physical health of patients and healthcare providers.
Global CARE supports three main areas of activity: projects in low- and middle-income countries, individual training support and RCSEd-led educational initiatives.
The College’s #LetsRemoveIt campaign also featured as a mental health support resource. The campaign was launched in 2017 and aspires to eradicate bullying, undermining and sexual misconduct within surgery.
#LetsRemoveIt provides resources including online learning, posters and presentations. A new performance workshop, ‘How to Survive and Thrive as a Surgeon’, is also now available, focusing on educating surgeons on how to build and support successful teams.
Scan the QR code to find out more about RCSEd’s support for Mental Health Awareness Week.
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