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Council meeting schedule and committees

The Dental Council regulates the oral health professions and sets the organisation’s strategic and policy direction. The following committees support the Council in its work.

  • Monday 2 February
  • Monday 2 – Tuesday 3 March
  • Tuesday 7 April
  • Monday 4 May
  • Monday 8 – Tuesday 9 June
  • Monday 6 July
  • Monday 3 August
  • Monday 7 – Tuesday 8 September
  • Monday 5 October
  • Monday 2 November
  • Monday 7 – Tuesday 8 December

The Accreditation Committee advises the Council on accreditation matters and develops accreditation standards, policies and procedures for the accreditation of educational programmes that lead to registration as an oral heath practitioner in New Zealand.

The members of the committee are:

  • Prof Ivan Darby (Chair & senior dental academic)
  • John Bridgman (Ex-officio, as Council Chair)
  • Susan Gorrie (New Zealand clinician)
  • A/Prof Meegan Hall (Lay member)
  • Mania Maniapoto-Ngaia (Independent educational standard-setting member)
  • Ian Mercer (New Zealand clinician)
  • Jennifer Mardini (Senior dental academic)

The Audit and Risk Management Committee advises the Council on its financial management, organisational and regulatory risk management, internal controls, external accountabilities and quality assurance framework.

The members of the committee are:

  • Brent Kennerley (Independent member, partner Grant Thornton (Chair))
  • John Bridgman (Ex-officio as Council Chair)
  • Paula Baker (Layperson)
  • Rosemary Fitzpatrick (Layperson)

The Blood Borne Viruses Panel manages, monitors and advises the Council on registered oral health practitioners and applicants who are or may be infected, and matters relating to blood-borne viruses. This includes:

  • the management and monitoring of registered oral health practitioners who are or may be infected with the hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus or human immunodeficiency virus, collectively referred to as transmissible major viral infections (TMVI); and
  • the provision of advice to Council under section 16(d) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003, about the fitness for registration of applicants seeking registration or restoration to the Register; or the fitness to practise of practitioners who are seeking an annual practising certificate; who are or may be infected with a TMVI.

The members of the Panel are:

  • John Bridgman (Chair)
  • Ed Gane (Hepatologist)
  • Simon Briggs (Infectious diseases and general physician)
  • Paula Baker (Lay member)

Te Hā is a cultural advisory group that advises the Council on cultural considerations within all of the Council’s functions. The ongoing work in collaboration with Te Hā remains paused pending the review of the HPCA Act.