Speaker: Angie Heilmann MBE 

Speaker Biography:

Angie commenced work as a dental nurse in 1984; she has considerable experience in the areas of clinical dental nursing and dental nurse education.  She has a varied background having worked in general dental practice in Scotland and England, Oral Maxillofacial Surgery and Orthodontics.  Her clinical expertise was dental sedation nursing.  Achieving a Distinction in the NEBDN examination and the ROCHE award in 2002 for the highest achieving candidate of that year. 

Angie is the Director of Dental Nurse Education for Antwerp Dental Academy.  Part of Antwerp Dental Group.  She is responsible for developing the Academy’s training portfolio.  This includes developing and delivering courses that meet the GDC requirements and mentoring the team of dental nurses across the group.  Thus, providing a robust internal training and mentorship programme.  She currently has clinical responsibility for trainee dental sedation nurses. 

Angie splits her working week between Antwerp Dental Academy and Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, where she works as an Integration and Transformation Manager.  This enables her to share knowledge held across primary and secondary care.  Currently her role is managing the Patient Flow Improvement program. 

Angie is a past Dental Workforce Development Regional Advisor and DCP Tutor for Health Education England, she has been involved in various dental related committees both nationally and locally; allowing her to work as an ambassador for dental nursing and DCPs as a whole.  She has substantial experience as a tutor and quality assurance advisor across various dental nurse education programs, as well as undertaking consultancy work to support the development of further dental nurse qualifications.  She worked with the awarding body CACHE/NCFE and was the named registrant for the GDC accreditation for their Diploma in the Principles and Practice of Dental Nursing.

“I am proud to have served the 2007-2009 term of office as President of the British Association for Dental Nurses, which rewarded my passion and commitment to the dental nursing profession.  In recognition of my commitment, I was awarded the 2010 BADN Outstanding Contribution to Dental Nursing, receiving the ultimate accolade of an MBE in 2012 for Services to Dental Nursing.” 

Course Information: 

This session will be delivered via teams on Friday 1st December 2023, running from 14:00-16:00pm. Invitations via email will be sent out nearer the time along with any other pre course material. If you have any questions ahead of this please contact abigail.boyd@esneft.nhs.uk (Dental Programme Administrator).

This course is designed to help dental hygienists and dental therapists feel confident using direct access, to help improve patient access.

Learning Content: 

Explain what direct access means, why it is important and what can be carried out under it

Discuss the limitations of direct access

Describe how to understand direct access

Explain direct access and it’s limitations

Apply direct access within their scope of practice

GDC Outcomes: 

C