Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru | National Assembly for Wales

Y Pwyllgor Iechyd, Gofal Cymdeithasol a Chwaraeon

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

Ymchwiliad i Deintyddiaeth yng Nghymru

Inquiry into Dentistry in Wales

Gohebiaeth gan Ysgol Ddeintyddiaeth, Prifysgol Caerdydd

Correspondence from School of Dentistry, Cardiff University

14.05.2019

Apologies for the late reply to you. We are continuing to have discussions with the University regarding fee setting for our postgraduate programmes. We have managed to drop our international fees to a more competitive level but our home fees are currently set at £14,950 per year.

This is a competitive fee for the UK’s most established full-time postgraduate Orthodontics programme and is line with many of our competitors. For example Kings fees are set at £14,700 (but with a higher cost of living for London), Edinburgh at £20,000 and Sheffield at £14,500. Whilst we are at the higher end I feel that this is competitive but I continue to monitor fees and have conversations with the University as we review out postgraduate activity annually.

I hope that this is helpful and as always I am more than happy to discuss with AMs and committee members at any time

Best wishes

Alastair

Alastair J Sloan BSc, PhD, PGCert, FHEA, FRSB Head of School

Alastair J Sloan BSc, PhD, PGCert, FHEA, FRSB Pennaeth am Ysgol

15.05.2019

Just a quick follow up to my email from yesterday. I would add that the Committee and Government understand that it is not really appropriate to compare fees for part-time courses with a full time course and would show what the pro-rata full time fee works out at in other Institutions.

I would also add that the funding model in Wales is different because we do not have direct commissioning, like there is in England. In England orthodontic training is provided on a per case basis by the Clinical Commissioning Groups, here in Cardiff we are having to cover NHS costs to support our full time programme. We do this legitimately by me as Head of School of Dentistry part funding NHS consultant posts in the Hospital from my budget. Consultant posts carry higher salaries than specialists and similar courses in England are taught by specialists in the main. Ours is fully consultant led.

I hope my two emails are informative and as I said yesterday I am more than happy to talk through this with members.

Best wishes

Alastair J Sloan BSc, PhD, PGCert, FHEA, FRSB Head of School

Alastair J Sloan BSc, PhD, PGCert, FHEA, FRSB Pennaeth am Ysgol