Gill Jones, Registrar

Having qualified as a dental surgeon in 1975, I enjoyed a varied early career in general practice, community and hospital services, with a focus on epidemiology and special care dentistry, as well as working in the All Wales Post Graduate Deanery. After further training, I became a Consultant in Dental Public Health in 1993 and spent many years as a Director of Dental Public Health in Wales, contributing to many developments and dealing with a wide range of issues with public health colleagues. More recently, with a change of focus towards academia and education, I worked in Cardiff Dental School and then took the opportunity, as Director of Undergraduate Dental Studies in the Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, to help colleagues to plan and deliver the new BDS course in the first new UK dental school for 40 years. Having retired from the NHS, I now support the work of the General Dental Council and provide consultancy in a number of areas.

An essential part of all my responsibilities over the years, has been to be a custodian of quality and quality assurance, a key part of which has been working closely with regulatory bodies.

There are many challenges for UKPHR going forward, as the impact of Covid-19 places a heavy burden on existing registrants and those joining the register. I will be working hard with the UKPHR team to continue the legacy of the previous Registrar, remaining mindful of the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion, providing fair arbitration in supporting new applications, re-registrations and revalidations, as well as contributing to the enhancement of UKPHR as a very important home for public health colleagues in the future.