The Dental Workforce Development Team
The Dental Workforce Development Team commissions courses to upskill dentists and dental care professionals working across Yorkshire and the Humber in NHS primary care. We provide a variety of courses including Level 2 training in Paediatric and Special Care Dentistry, Oral Health Champion training and courses designed to reskill dental therapists. Each of our Dental Tutors has a different portfolio and is keen to engage with stakeholders and the local workforce to develop relevant training opportunities.
Joe Vere, Associate Dental Dean
BDS, MMedSci (Dental Implantology), MPros, FDS (Rest Dent), PhD.
Joe graduated from Cardiff Dental School in 1999 and was appointed as a Consultant in Restorative Dentistry in Leicester in 2015. Prior to commencing specialist training Joe spent 11 years working in general dental practice. In 2018, he completed a PhD at the University of Sheffield, analysing the importance of evidence-based medicine. Joe was Training Programme Director for Restorative Dentistry in South Yorkshire before being appointed as Associate Dental Dean with responsibility for Dental Workforce Development in January 2020. In this role he oversees the upskilling of dentists and dental care professionals working in NHS primary care to meet local and national priorities.
Joe has always been passionate about postgraduate dental education and has lectured extensively across South Yorkshire and the Midlands. As Associate Dental Dean he has overseen the successful development of Level 2 training programme in Paediatric and Special Care Dentistry, a leadership framework for dental care professionals and a number of national asynchronous learning resources. Joe has a keen interest in innovation and evaluation science and actively works with local stakeholders to commission high-quality education resources.
Julia Armstrong, Lead Dental Care Professional Tutor
BA (Hons), LCGI, PGC, PGCPSE, MRSPH, FDTFEd
Julia is the Lead Dental Care Professional tutor at NHSE Yorkshire and the Humber where she commissions education to develop dental teams. She also supports general dental practices involved in Dental Foundation Training through Practice audits and improvements.
Julia spent over 30 years working in primary care dentistry. She has an honours degree in Education and Professional Development and holds a range of post qualifications to support her role in dental education, including a Postgraduate Certificate (PGC) in Digital Education and a PGC in Professional Leadership.
Alongside her NHSE role, Julia works at Leeds Dental School, in the School of DCP Education where she is Programme Lead for the Oral Health Practitioner L4 Apprenticeship.
In 2018 she was awarded Fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Faculty of Dental Trainers and currently sits on their Executive Committee. She is a member of the Royal Society of Public Health, an examiner and subject matter expert for the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses (NEBDN) and is the external examiner for University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin (Dental Schools) in Ireland.
Contact: julia.armstrong4@nhs.net
Esther McDerra, Dental Tutor
Qualifications: BDS, MDentSci (Paed Dent), FRDC(Canada), FDSRCS(Edin), PG CertClinEd (Leeds), FHEA
Esther graduated from the University of Dundee and later completed a Master’s Degree in Paediatric Dentistry at the University of Leeds. She gained Fellowships at the Royal College of Dentists of Canada and Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh where she was awarded the Dean’s Medal. Esther became a Specialist in Paediatric Dentistry in 2002 and is currently based in the Mid Yorkshire Teaching Trust, Community Dental Service and is a Clinical Teaching Fellow at the University of Leeds. She is a staunch advocate of Paediatric Dentistry and is dedicated to work-based training within her specialty and completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Education at the University of Leeds. She has experience of clinical supervision for Dental Core Trainees, Undergraduate Dental Students and Level 2 Paediatric Dentists.
Esther is the Major Events Dental Tutor for NHS England (Yorkshire and the Humber) working as part of the Dental Workforce Development Team. This role enables her to step outside her own speciality and has widened her perspective of the dental team and also given her the opportunity to commission inspirational leaders within the profession. Her role has further evolved to contribute to the development and organisation of courses for the innovative new Level 2 Complexity Care Programme in Paediatric Dentistry contributing to workforce development in Paediatric Dentistry.
Contact: e.mcderra@nhs.net
Geradline Birks, DCP Tutor
Dental Care Professional Tutor | Clinical Case Examiner | Dental Specialist Advisor | BA (Hons), LCGI, PGCE, SAAD, MRSPH, FDTFEd
Geraldine Birks is a highly respected figure in dental education and regulation, with over two decades of experience in the field. As a Dental Care Professional Tutor, she is responsible for commissioning and supporting the delivery of high-quality education and training across the dental workforce. Her approach is rooted in multi-professional collaboration, ensuring that development pathways reflect the evolving needs of modern healthcare.
Geraldine began her career in dentistry in 2000 and holds a wide range of professional qualifications, including the NEBDN National Certificate in Dental Nursing, NEBDN Dental Conscious Sedation, NEBDN Oral Health Educators Certificate, and the ILM Dental Decontamination Leadership Programme. She is also a Dental Licentiate and serves as a Legionella Responsible Person, reflecting her dedication to patient safety and clinical excellence.
Her regulatory expertise is extensive. Geraldine serves as a Clinical Case Examiner and Interim Manager with the General Dental Council (GDC), where she has also acted as an Investigating Committee Chair. Her previous roles with the GDC include being a Quality Assurance Education Inspector for UK dental schools and Registration Assessor for both EEA and Non-EEA applicants.
Geraldine is also a Dental Specialist Advisor to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and a Fellow of the Faculty of Dental Trainers, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, where she served on the Executive Board for eight years until stepping down in 2024. She continues to maintain clinical practice in York, ensuring her work remains grounded in current clinical realities.
Beyond dentistry, Geraldine contributes to broader healthcare and public service. She sits on the General Optical Council (GOC) Registration Committee and Advisory Panel and is also a dedicated Mounted Community Volunteer with Humberside Police.
Geraldine’s diverse roles and enduring commitment to excellence make her a distinguished leader in dental education, healthcare regulation, and public engagement.
Contact: geraldine.birks@nhs.net
Paul Wright, Dental Tutor
Paul qualified at Sheffield in 1980 and has 38 years experience of working in and running an NHS practice.
Paul has been a tutor in postgraduate education since 2003 and currently holds the positions of Postgraduate Dental Tutor (Sheffield) and Restoring the Efficiency of Registrants (RER) Adviser (Yorkshire and the Humber)
Contact: paul.wright8@nhs.net
Rachael Nichol, Dental Tutor
Qualifications:
BChD, MFDS RCS (Eng), M Dent Sci (Paed Dent), M Paed Dent RCS (Eng), FDSRCS (Paed Dent) (Eng), PG Cert HCL (Open), PG Cert Clin Ed (University of Leeds), FHEA
Rachael Nichol is an experienced Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry, currently serving as the Clinical Lead for the Mid Yorkshire Teaching Trust, Community Dental Service in West Yorkshire. She graduated from Leeds Dental School in 2000 and completed her specialty training across a range of institutions, including Leeds Dental Institute, Barnsley Community Dental Service, Melbourne Children’s Hospital, and The Royal London. She was appointed as a consultant in 2009.
Rachael is a committed member of the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD), currently serving on its Executive Team and set to take on the role of President in 2026.
Dedicated to improving children’s oral health and advancing dental education, Rachael has played a pivotal role in developing and delivering training programmes. She pioneered the UK’s first Level 2 complexity care training programme in paediatric dentistry which has led to general dental practitioners being commissioned to provide enhanced care within general practice settings.
With a strong passion for teaching, she actively supervises and mentors dentists at foundation, core, and specialty levels. Rachael is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, reflecting her commitment to excellence in clinical education.
Contact: rachael.nichol1@nhs.net
Steve Ross, Dental Tutor
Steve Ross is a general dental practitioner in Guiseley, near Leeds who is Postgraduate Tutor with focus on practical, hands-on courses in the Yorkshire region.
Contact: stephenross88@hotmail.com
Trevor Johnson, Dental Tutor
Trevor Johnson, BDS, MFDS, DPDS, MSc, MHPE, FHEA, FFGDP(UK), FDSRCS, is a Postgraduate Tutor at NHS England (Yorkshire and the Humber), working as part of the Dental Workforce Development Team, based in Leeds and Sheffield. His role involves commissioning postgraduate dental education for the whole dental team and he also sits on the Yorkshire and Humber Local Dental Network, which helps to inform the Deanery’s role in Workforce Development.
He is part of the team at the Health Education Professions Unit at Hull York Medical School (HYMS) and teaches research and leadership to postgraduate students from the fields of medicine, dentistry, nursing and allied professions. Trevor has been an editor at the Cochrane Oral Health Group for many years, is an author of Cochrane and other systematic reviews and was a member of the INTERVAL NiHR Trial Study Group into dental recall. He is also an external examiner for the Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics MclinDent programme at Kings College London.
Trevor is currently completing research about the hands-on clinical teaching in endodontics that we undertake and the study title is: A qualitative evaluation of hands-on NHS England Dental courses in endodontics for general dental practitioners: trainer and trainee perspectives. This work is very kindly supported by a grant from NHS England (formerly HEE) and is a collaboration between the Deanery and Hull York Medical School.
Sarah Brown, DCP Tutor
Sarah is one of the DCP tutors in the Dental Workforce Development team at NHS England (Yorkshire and the Humber). She is based in Sheffield and lives and works in this area.
Sarah studied law at university before her career change into dentistry. She has worked in the field for over 13 years, qualifying as a dental nurse before moving onto practice management over 6 years ago. Sarah gained the ILM in Leadership and Management in 2022 and currently manages two mixed general dental practices alongside her HEE role.
Sarah brings a wealth of experience to the team and is passionate about supporting the development of practice managers and the wider DCP workforce. Sarah has a special interest in peer review and will be providing opportunities for engagement and learning across the region.
Sarah would love to hear from all DCPs, particularly those in the South Yorkshire region.
Contact: sarah.brown235@nhs.net
Donna Ashby, DCP Tutor
Qualifications: DipHE in Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy, NVQ L3 Oral Health Care: Dental Nursing.
Donna has worked with in dentistry for 25 years starting her journey as a Dental nursing then completing the certificate in Oral Health Education, Orthodontics and Radiology.
After 11 years Donna started the Dental Hygiene and Therapy course at Sheffield University and for the last 11 years she has been working in general practice as a Hygiene Therapist. Donna has worked in several practices over her career working in both NHS and Private practices and have supported DTFT’s in primary care as an Educational Supervisor.
Donna has joined the workforce development team as a Dental Care Professional Tutor for NHS England, based at Blenheim House Leeds. This role involves the development, provision, and commissioning of high quality CPD and training for the workforce across the region.
Divya Keshani, Dental Tutor
Divya has been the Postgraduate Dental Tutor for NHSE Yorkshire and Humber since 2011 as part of the Dental Workforce Development Team. She is a Consultant Oral Surgeon at Bradford Teaching Hospitals and has an active role in training and education both in the region and nationally through sitting on the Council of the British Association of Oral Surgeons (BAOS) and on the Committee of the West Yorkshire Managed Clinical Network (MCN).
Divya is passionate about life-long learning for the whole dental team and more broadly healthcare in its widest term and organises courses and events to aid them in maintaining this learning. She also delivers courses and lectures pertinent to Oral Surgery.
Divya has a special interest in the young dentist and supports them in achieving a fulfilling and successful career. As Tutor as well as recent Regional Training Programme Director (TPD) for Oral Surgery and Local TPD for Dental Core Trainees (DCTs), Divya can engage with this cohort and enable them to develop their potential with appropriate training, courses and mentoring.
Contact email details: dkeshani@nhs.net