Postgraduate Dental Education

Eligibility for Section 63 Courses

In Brief...

Courses offered on this website are "Section 63 Approved Courses" and are funded out of monies disbursed to Postgraduate Dental Deans by the Department of Health. A dentist providing general dental services under the NHS can attend an approved course without payment. It is sufficient to have one's name on a Health Authority dental list. Vocational Dental Practitioners are welcome to attend. Eligible dentists can claim Travel and Subsistence. Claim forms will be available.

Full Statement

Unless otherwise indicated, the courses listed on this website are provided for general dental practitioners and the Community Dental Service under Section 63 (of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968) and funded out of monies disbursed to Postgraduate Dental Deans by the Department of Health for the purpose. The courses are accordingly free to eligible practitioners and, per contra, courses for which a course fee is charged are not recognised as Section 63 courses* (see below).

Practitioners attending a Section 63 course may reclaim their travelling and subsistence expenses from their Health Authorities at the current rate on form FP84. The form must be countersigned by the Dental Tutor or Centre Administrator. Practitioners should retain the yellow part of form FP84 as it will be used as proof of qualification towards the payment of Postgraduate Education Allowances and Seniority Payments. The Postgraduate Education Allowance applies to courses lasting 2½ hours or more. Details of entitlement to this are included in the regulations.

"Non-eligible" dentists may attend a course organised under Section 63 provided sufficient places are available. Priority however will always be given to eligible practitioners in enrolling dentists for any Section 63 course. "Non-eligible" dentists will normally be able to attend lecture programmes without charge but will be asked to pay a fee (determined by the tutor) if they occupy a place on a "hands-on" course, or if non-eligible dentists constitute the majority of those registering for the course.

Salaried dentists providing general dental services for the Health authorities are welcome to attend courses. They may claim travel and subsistence, but not the postgraduate education allowance.

Other Approved Courses*

Non-Section 63 courses may be given approval for payment of postgraduate education allowance (PGEA) and seniority payments by the Postgraduate Dental Dean in whose region they are to take place.

Approval is granted for specific courses and not general ongoing programmes; thus applications must be made on each separate occasion to the Postgraduate Dental Dean on the appropriate application form.

The granting of ‘other approved course’ status indicates quite specifically that such courses do not attract travel and subsistence payments.

To enrol on a course

Apply direct to the Centre at which the course is being held.