Hands-on training

I am a dental hygienist. I was unable to attend my practice's medical emergency hands-on training session last week. Will a medical emergency course which is not hands-on suffice as the core annual requirement, or do I need to attend a hands-on course?

DDU advice

The GDC's Standards for the Dental Team says that dental professionals "must follow the guidance on medical emergencies and training updates issued by the Resuscitation Council (UK)" (paragraph 1.5.3).

The Resuscitation Council’s own Quality Standards for CPR in Primary Dental Care, says that dental practitioners and healthcare staff should be trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) so they can:

recognise cardiorespiratory arrest;
summon help immediately;
start CPR, using chest compressions and providing ventilation with a pocket mask or bag-mask device and supplemental oxygen;
attempt defibrillation (if appropriate) within 3 minutes of collapse, using an AED; and
provide other advanced life support skills if appropriate and if trained to do so.

It recommends that knowledge and skills are updated at least annually, including hands-on simulation training and assessment for clinical staff. This guidance can be found on the Resuscitation Council website.

Q&As - a snapshot of your ethical dilemmas

Q&As - a snapshot of your ethical dilemmas