A senior dental leader from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has been appointed to a key national role supporting the future of oral health services in Scotland.
Kate Wiseman, Assistant Clinical Director for Priority and Vulnerable Groups within NHSGGC’s Public Dental Service, has been named as Deputy Chief Dental Officer for Scotland. She will take up the post from 1 July for a period of two years.
The role, based within the Scottish Government, provides national clinical leadership for oral health. It supports the Chief Dental Officer in shaping policy and services, with a focus on improving population oral health and reducing inequalities.
Kate will work in the role four days a week, while continuing to care for patients through an out-of-hours clinical session in Glasgow one day a week.
A Dundee graduate, Kate has been practising dentistry for 20 years and joined NHSGGC four years ago. During that time she has played a key role in shaping care and support for priority and vulnerable groups across the health board.
Speaking about her appointment, Kate said:
“I am very pleased to be starting my new role as Deputy Chief Dental Officer, focusing on oral health improvement and tackling inequalities. This is an area I feel strongly about, particularly in supporting vulnerable populations and improving access to care.
“While I am really looking forward to this new opportunity, I will genuinely miss working with colleagues across NHSGGC, who have been such a supportive and inspiring team. I am looking forward to working with colleagues nationally to strengthen services and help deliver better outcomes for patients.”
Lisa Dorrian, General Manager for NHSGGC’s Oral Health Directorate, said:
“Kate has made an outstanding contribution to our Public Dental Service, particularly in improving care and support for some of our most vulnerable patients. Her passion for reducing inequalities and her commitment to patient-centred care have been evident in everything she does.
This is a very well-deserved appointment and, while she will be greatly missed within NHSGGC, her experience and insight will be a real asset to the national conversation on the future of oral health. We wish her every success in her new role.”
Confirming the appointment in a letter to colleagues, Chief Dental Officer Gillian Leslie said Kate had been successful following open competition and would join the national team for a two-year period, bringing valuable experience from across the dental sector.
He said: “I warmly welcome Kate to this role and look forward to working with the new team.
“This gives the clinical team a broad range of experience from across the dental sector to build on our existing successes and to support the incoming government in their important commitments across the sector.”
