What does the future hold?

A time travelling practice manager from 1993 would find it hard to recognise the dental practice of 2013. As ADAM (Association of Dental Administrators and Managers) (formerly the British Dental Practice Managers’ Association) celebrates its 20th anniversary this year it is a good time perhaps to reflect on what practice managements should be looking forward to with anticipation and excitement or trepidation in the years to come.

Back in the early 1990s we were still getting to grips with a new NHS contract and many practices had taken steps, some tentative, towards becoming private. Managers were more used to dealing with staff and team issues rather than any compliance issues, and the employment law landscape was rather simpler. Patients too were different back then, and the General Dental Council (GDC) had just relaxed some of the rules and regulations governing advertising. The internet and email were only just entering dental consciousness and the use of social l media as we know it today was unheard of. There was no compulsory continuing professional development (CPD) and of course nurses did not have to be registered with anyone. The role of the practice manager too was a fledgling one and the nature of their role and the responsibilities varied greatly from practice to practice.