SDCEP lead retires after 20 years

Doug Stirling is retiring after 20 years at the helm of SDCEP. Doug was instrumental in the initiation of the programme and has been directly involved in the development of every SDCEP resource, including clinical guidance, implementation advice and the Practice Support Manual. He has also collaborated with external organisations to develop national advice on instrument decontamination and the Delivering Better Oral Health toolkit.

Doug has a background in life sciences research, and his scientific approach has been invaluable in developing SDCEP’s robust methodology for guidance development. It has also allowed Doug to approach tricky issues with a non-dental perspective that has often proven very beneficial.

Jan Clarkson, Director of SDCEP, said:

“Doug has been fundamental to the success of SDCEP as a trusted source of user-friendly, evidence-based guidance for the dental profession. His practical and pragmatic approach to guidance development has supported dental teams to provide high quality healthcare that is safe, effective and person-centred. He will truly be missed, not just by the SDCEP team but by the whole dental profession. We hope he enjoys his well-deserved retirement, spending time outdoors in the beautiful Scottish countryside.”

Abdul Haleem, general dental practitioner and Dental Practice Advisor, said:

“Doug has been central in helping formulate pragmatic guidance and advice for those of us in Primary Care dentistry. Having been involved with SDCEP for many years, I have never ceased to be amazed at how he has led his team, all of whom are non-dentists, and how they assimilated our requests and made what was tricky into something so practical and easy to follow. I'd like to thank Doug on behalf of those of us in practice who have benefitted from his efforts. My personal thanks to Doug and best wishes for his retirement.”

The whole NES Clinical Effectiveness workstream would like to thank Doug for his inspiring leadership over the last 20 years and we wish him all the very best in his retirement.