DFT Curriculum.
The one year foundation training programme covers four main areas: Clinical, Communication, Professionalism, and Leadership and Management. Within these areas, trainees must attain key skills and abilities. These are known as “major competencies”. Click on link to the COPDEND website.
This training year (2024-25) we will be trialling the Early Years Curriculum. The training curriculum statement can be found here.
Please note that a certificate cannot be reissued if this is misplaced.
The major competencies in the Clinical domain are:
- Patient examination and diagnosis
- Treatment planning and patient management
- Health promotion and disease prevention
- Medical and Dental Emergencies
- Anaesthesia, sedation, pain and anxiety control
- Periodontal therapy and management of soft tissue
- Hard and Soft Tissue Surgery
- Non-surgical management of the hard and soft tissues of the head and neck
- Management of the developing dentition
- Restoration of teeth
The major competencies in the Communication domain are:
- Communication with the patient and family
- Communication with the clinical team and peers
- Communication with other professionals
The major competencies in the Professionalism domain are:
- Ethics
- Professionalism with regard to patients
- Professionalism with regard to self
- Professionalism with regard to clinical team and peers
The major competencies in the Leadership & Management domain are:
- Personal and practice organization
- Legislative
- Financial
- Leadership and Management
There is a comprehensive study day programme for foundation trainees.
The 2023/24 study day programme is available here.
As per The Blue Guide - A Reference Guide for Postgraduate Foundation Training in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (2022), each foundation dentist will have a Review of Competence Progression (RCP) at 6 months and at approximately 10/11 months (final). All evidence for these reviews should be uploaded to your Axia ePortfolio at least 2 weeks prior to the RCP date.
The dates for the 2025 RCPs are:
RCP - 6th & 7th March 2025
FRCP - 24th and 25th July 2025
The evidence required for your IRCP is available here.
The evidence required for FRCP is detailed in the DFT Handbook.
If you have any questions regarding your evidence, please contact your Training Programme Director.
If you have any questions regarding the RCP process, please contact england.dentalsupport.yh@nhs.net.
Certificates
Subject to being awarded an outcome 6, certificates are available at Axia at the end of August.
Please ensure that you download your certificate and keep a copy, as replacement certificates cannot be provided in the future.
The process for moving onto another primary care role in the NHS is on the PCSE website; https://pcse.england.nhs.uk/services/performers-lists/. Trainees should apply using the NPL3 form to the Area Team for the area in which they will be proposing to work.
Next Steps
We have a guide available which covers some of the next administrative and financial procedures you may undertake post-DFT.