Community enterprise appoints director

17 May 2024
Adrian Thorp.

Adrian Thorp has been appointed as clinical director of Community Dental Services (CDS-CIC).

A specialist oral surgeon with a law degree, Adrian has worked in maxillofacial surgery for more than 10 years and owned his own seven-surgery mixed practice in North Wales. Recently, Adrian became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, he is president elect of the British Association of Oral Surgeons.

He has a keen interest in learning and encouraging professional development for the whole dental team. Adrian is a senior lecturer in medical aesthetics at Bangor University, a programme director for dental foundation training and has worked closely with the North Wales Dental Academy. He has also developed a training scheme to upskill General Dental Practitioners to prevent onward referrals of primary care oral surgery.

Through his work on the member of the Faculty of Dental Surgery examinations and training, he has been granted a visiting professorship at the University of Kuala Lumpa.

Adrian has also held a number of advisory positions, including a national policy role for the Welsh Government, Public Health Wales and the British National Formulary for the inclusion of medicines, influencing dental prescribing in the UK. He is also an expert witness for the MDU.

Helen Paisley, chief executive of CDS CIC, said, “At CDS CIC our priority is to support the oral health needs of vulnerable patients to ensure they get the best possible care, underpinned by new technologies and innovation. We are delighted that someone with Adrian’s extensive experience and interest in so many different areas of the dental profession has joined us as our new Clinical Director and it is fantastic that we now have such high-level expertise in oral surgery at CDS. Adrian has real passion for excellence and innovation, and this will be of huge benefit to our workforce and, ultimately, our patients.”

Adrian commented, “I am really excited to be joining CDS CIC. This is an organisation that aligns with my own priorities and values with a clear commitment to learning and professional development.

“I’ve spent much of my career improving dental education for all members of the team regardless of role and stage in their career, so they can achieve their highest level within the organisation. I’m also joining an organisation that is happy to invest and try new ways of working so our patient cohort receive gold standard care.”

Adrian joins the executive team and the board of CDS and will be responsible for all aspects of clinical governance, quality, workforce development of the dental team and bringing new technologies and innovation to patient care across the 56 clinics and prison dental surgeries.