Personal Development Planning (PDP)

Introduction
Dentistry (like most things) is subject to change as scientific advances make an impact on our daily clinical activity. Administrative changes are also not without their effect! Personal Development Planning (PDP) is an approach that can help us cope effectively with these inevitable challenges. Appraisal is the usual way to approach this task.

What is a PDP?
Using a PDP is a means of identifying an individual's development needs and wants and devising the best way to satisfy these requirements. This process is part of Clinical Governance and it is a government requirement that all clinicians working in the NHS have and use a PDP.

The purpose of using a PDP is to enable self-development and self-fulfilment by providing the Dental Team with the help they need to meet their personal, professional and practice objectives. This in turn assists them by providing targeted development to enhance fulfilment of their personal and clinical role.

PDP is something the KSS Deanery is now embracing as part of its Deanery wide Clinical Governance programme. The recently appointed Dental Education Facilitators will be specifically tasked with the formulation of both individual and practice development plans. This is something that all practice teams should be considering on an annual basis. It may be that some plans are ambitious or long term. There is no problem with keeping them rolling forwards from year to year so long as progress is being made and successes along the way are recorded.

Where to Start
It is of course, difficult to know where to start without sufficient time being taken to reflect on past experiences and convert these into potential areas for development. This may take the form of self-questioning in preparation for an appraisal meeting;

• What problems am I having?
• What skills do I need to extend? - These could be clinical or administrative.
• What direction is my practice moving in?
• Am I and my team equipped to manage this change?
• What areas of legislation are moving forwards, are we prepared for these?

For help with this process you can download your PDP form here.

Key Questions
These are key questions both for individuals and practices as a whole. Dr Richard Eve a GP Tutor in West Somerset has done some interesting work on this subject. He has come up with the concept of PUNs and DENs. Rather than approaching this from what the dentist (doctor) or other team member may want; it looks at learning needs from the patients’ perspective. PUNs are Patients Unmet Needs. Following examination or treatment sessions one simply says “How could I have done better?” The dentist decides whether the patients needs have been met; this process leads on to Dentists Educational Needs (DENs). PUNs can be divided into four classes; Knowledge (Clinical and Non Clinical), Skill and Attitude.

It may be that as several points emerge, you may need to prioritise. It will be helpful to discuss with colleagues both within and outside your organisation. You may be able to combine some topics. Your initial list can be modified and refined.

‘Blended Learning’
Armed with this list it will then be necessary to plan how to go about achieving your desired outcomes. The “Blended Learning” approach is likely to prove the most useful. This combines a multitude of learning methods. Formal lectures, journal or book reading, Internet searching, outsourced help (perhaps calling colleagues), FGDP or BDA and the use of CD based packages. You will need to consult courses booklets, Websites and colleagues to find the most useful route to achieving your ideal plan. If you have access to a “mentor” then this is the just the right time to make contact!!

The best laid plans of course have to “happen”. When you have selected your preferred plan you must make a realistic time commitment. There will be a competition for your time and you must sensibly prioritise. Plan a diary to help you with the staging of the targets you have set yourself. It is better to aim for modest achievable outcomes rather than ambitious demanding challenges. Remember these can always be revisited in the future if circumstances demand. When this is complete you have to make a start. How many times have we gone away from courses or even a conversation, enthused, and then failed to put it into practice?

All of this should of course produce benefits all round, improvements for patient care, a better working environment, happy clinicians, and cohesive teams.

Evaluation
How will you know if all this effort is producing any results? It is important to review the effect of your plan, monitor the impact of any changes you have made as a result of your personal/practice development. May be an Audit is appropriate. If there are clear improvements to patient care/practice activities then it is vital to act and incorporate these changes fully into practice processes.

I am sure you and your teams will welcome the opportunity to discuss these issues with the Dental Education Facilitators when they visit. Should you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact your Primary Care Trust’s Clinical Governance Lead. Contact details for all Clinical Governance Leads can be obtained from KSS Deanery on 020 7415 3400.

John Darby
Associate Dean, Primary Care