Talk to our careers team
With over 460 practices in the UK and Ireland, we’re confident our team of specialist recruiters will be able to find something that matches both your professional and personal requirements.
Working at Bupa Dental Care you will benefit from excellent clinical structure and a dedicated mentor/supervisor to support you in becoming a fully qualified NHS dentist.
Whether you are already registered with the GDC (General Dental Council) in the UK or just at the initial stages of thinking of making the move to the UK contact [email protected] and one of our Overseas Associate Resourcing Partners will arrange a call with you to discuss your specific requirements and identify the perfect role.
Our team will be here to help support and guide you through each step of the process.
Helpful links:
IELTS
To practice as a dentist in the UK dental professionals must be able to demonstrate the necessary knowledge of the English language to be able to treat patients in the UK. Dentists who apply to the General Dental Council (GDC) register will be asked by the GDC to provide appropriate evidence that they have the necessary knowledge of English before they can be registered. If the evidence provided does not meet GDC requirements applicants will be required to undertake a language proficiency test (IELTS). For further information visit https://www.gdc-uk.org/registration/join-the-register/route-to-registration/english-language-controls
Preparing for the test:
The first step in the process is to take the IELTS English (Academic) test (if required) which is composed of a Speaking, Writing and Listening test, most students with school-level English take around 3 months of study to pass the test.
There are lots of resources available to help you with self-study or can even hire a tutor for 2-hour sessions per week to help you prepare. The British Council website is a great resource which offers helpful advice and tips as well as free mock tests for you to practice before your exam.
Helpful links:
Taking the test:
When you’re ready to take the test you can book a date and time at one of the test locations. There are more than 800 official British IELTS test centres around the world, which are all conveniently located and have modern facilities.
You can find further information on the General Dental Council website https://www.gdc-uk.org/
Register with the GDC
All clinicians practising in the UK are legally required to register with the General Dental Council (GDC).
The GDC is the UK-wide statutory regulator and its primary purpose is to protect patient safety and maintain confidence in dental services.
If you are registering for the first time with the GDC you can apply to join the register online.
As part of your registration with the GDC you will be required to provide evidence of your level of English language and maybe required to take the IELTS test.
You can find further information on the General Dental Council website here.
Clinical telephone interview/practice visit
Once we’ve agreed on your chosen role, we will set up a practice visit if you are in the UK or arrange a time for you to talk to the Practice Manager via Skype/telephone so you can find out more about the practice and your future team.
Your Associate Resourcing Partner will then arrange for you to have a discussion with one of our clinical team. The call normally takes 30-45 minutes and is an opportunity for you to ask any clinical related or general questions as well as demonstrate your clinical knowledge and experience as a practitioner.
Offer
If you are successful with the clinical interview, we will make a formal offer and you will be issued with an Associate agreement (subject to GDC Registration and gaining your national performer number and successfully completing our Welcome to UK Practice course)
Following your acceptance of our offer, we’ll request the required compliance documentation and arrange for you to complete Welcome to the UK Practice Induction (WUP) which is 3-4 days of support and training provided by our clinical team at our Support Centre in the UK.
On successful completion of Welcome to UK Practice (WUP) and gaining your performer number we will arrange your start date.
UK National Performer Number application
To work within the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) you will need to apply to join the National Performer list.
We recommend that you start this process and preparing the required documentation straight away as you will need to upload scans or photographs of documents during the application process.
To start the process go to https://secure.pcse.england.nhs.uk/_forms/pcsssignin.aspx
Under ‘Register as a’, select ‘Performers List Applicant’.
For a full guide on how to apply for your Performer Number click here
Once you have completed your application you will be issued with a case reference number and shortly after this you will be contacted by the Performer List team and asked to attend a face to face interview in the UK.
At the interview you will need to provide the following documentation
- CV
- Photo ID, copy of your passport or driving licence photocard
- Professional Indemnity or insurance certificate
- You will need to provide details of 2 clinical references in your application
- Graduation certificate
- Work permit, if applicable
- Enhanced DBS Police check, IMPORTANT it can take up to 8 weeks to obtain an enhanced DBS application and an application cannot be progressed without one, so it is advised that you apply for this one as soon as possible. If you have accepted a position at one of our practices you will need to visit the practice and the practice manager will assist you with processing this check. You will need to provide original documentation to the Practice Manager (please click link for a list of accepted documents ttps://www.gov.uk/guidance/documents-the-applicant-must-provide Once you have your application reference number you should apply for the online update service here. This must be done within 28 days otherwise your check will become invalid and you will need to reapply for your DBS. You can use your reference number to track the progress of your DBS certificate.
- Overseas criminal record check. If you have not been a UK resident for the last five years you must undergo a Police Home Check. You can arrange this by contacting their Home Office or Embassy. If the document provided is not in English, a translation that has been issued by a bonafide organisation and signed by an official translator.
- Accepted language test certificate, if applicable. You can visit the IELTs website here
- CPR certificate
- Child and Adult safeguarding certificates
- Occupational Health Clearance. An occupational health clearance certificate is required from an occupational health provider, with accreditation for Safe Effective Quality Occupational Health Service (SEQOHS). If you haven’t already done so you should apply for the occupational health certificate in accordance with the above immediately, as this may take some time. For a full list of Occupational Health providers, please click here
Once your application has been checked and you have completed your face to face meeting, your application will be sent to the relevant NHS England local office.
Once you have been admitted to the Performers List you will be ready to start providing NHS dentistry in practice.
Relocation services
If the whole process of relocating sounds daunting, we can provide you with the details of a trusted relocation services provider who can support you with your move. We have many dentists who work with us who have made the same move, we can support you every step of the way.
The very best professional support
Mentorship
You will receive the best clinical support with a mentor in practice to support you for the first 6-12 months and a one week induction – welcoming you to practising in the UK and Ireland. Based in Bristol the induction course is lead by our top clinicians. You will also meet other overseas dentists so it’s a great opportunity to make friends and develop a support network
Peer to peer
One of the strengths of Bupa Dental Care is our large network of dentists. With over 2,000 across the UK and Ireland we can offer a support network like no other. For you, this means there are always opportunities to further your training and specialise.
Regional Clinical Services Advisors (RCSAs)
Our RCSAs are Bupa Dental Care dentists who also act in an advisory role for both you as an associate and the business. Importantly, they can act as a go-to point for advice and support outside your own practice
Continuous Professional Development
When it comes to your development we’ll support you every step of the way. After completing our comprehensive induction, you’ll find our learning initiatives span everything from technical upskilling through to career development academies.
We support all learning styles and run both internal and external courses that encompass face-to-face and online sessions as well as self-driven learning.
You can expect:
- Continuous Professional Development – we run a regional programme of courses and have an online CPD resource with 400+ hours of training designed to help you expand your professional skills and explore specialist pathways
- Sponsored education – take advantage of access to interest-free loans for postgraduate training and courses, including MScs
Access to Bupa Dental Enhanced Skills Practitioner Programme accredited Tier 2 courses in Endodontics, Periodontics and Oral Surgery run by our specialist clinical team
- Discounted external courses offered through specialist trainers, including (but not limited to) Facial Aesthetics and Endodontics
- The chance to get an interest-free sponsored education loan
Established career progression
Opportunities to grow and develop through our established career pathways.
