The Dental Workforce Development Team
The Dental Workforce Development Team commissions courses to upskill dentists and dental care professionals working across Yorkshire and the Humber in NHS primary care. We provide a variety of courses including Level 2 training in Paediatric and Special Care Dentistry, Oral Health Champion training and courses designed to reskill dental therapists. Each of our Dental Tutors has a different portfolio and is keen to engage with stakeholders and the local workforce to develop relevant training opportunities.
Joe Vere, Associate Dental Dean
BDS, MMedSci (Dental Implantology), MPros, FDS (Rest Dent), PhD.
Joe graduated from Cardiff Dental School in 1999 and was appointed as a Consultant in Restorative Dentistry in Leicester in 2015. Prior to commencing specialist training Joe spent 11 years working in general dental practice. In 2018, he completed a PhD at the University of Sheffield, analysing the importance of evidence-based medicine. Joe was Training Programme Director for Restorative Dentistry in South Yorkshire before being appointed as Associate Dental Dean with responsibility for Dental Workforce Development in January 2020. In this role he oversees the upskilling of dentists and dental care professionals working in NHS primary care to meet local and national priorities.
Joe has always been passionate about postgraduate dental education and has lectured extensively across South Yorkshire and the Midlands. As Associate Dental Dean he has overseen the successful development of Level 2 training programme in Paediatric and Special Care Dentistry, a leadership framework for dental care professionals and a number of national asynchronous learning resources. Joe has a keen interest in innovation and evaluation science and actively works with local stakeholders to commission high-quality education resources.
Julia Armstrong, Lead Dental Care Professional Tutor
BA (Hons), LCGI, PGC, PGCPSE, MRSPH, FDTFEd
Julia is the Lead Dental Care Professional tutor at NHSE Yorkshire and the Humber where she commissions education to develop dental teams. She also supports general dental practices involved in Dental Foundation Training through Practice audits and improvements.
Julia spent over 30 years working in primary care dentistry. She has an honours degree in Education and Professional Development and holds a range of post qualifications to support her role in dental education, including a Postgraduate Certificate (PGC) in Digital Education and a PGC in Professional Leadership.
Alongside her NHSE role, Julia works at Leeds Dental School, in the School of DCP Education where she is Programme Lead for the Oral Health Practitioner L4 Apprenticeship.
In 2018 she was awarded Fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Faculty of Dental Trainers and currently sits on their Executive Committee. She is a member of the Royal Society of Public Health, an examiner and subject matter expert for the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses (NEBDN) and is the external examiner for University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin (Dental Schools) in Ireland.
Contact: julia.armstrong4@nhs.net
Esther McDerra, Dental Tutor
Esther is the Major Events Dental Tutor for NHS England (Yorkshire and the Humber) with responsibility for commissioning postgraduate dental education for the whole dental team. Her role involves organizing larger scale core and topical courses.
Esther is also a Specialist in Paediatric Dentistry based in the Community Dental Service and is dedicated to work based training within her specialty. She is a clinical supervisor for dental core trainees and is also involved in teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate students at Leeds Dental Institute. She has recently completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Education at the University of Leeds.
Contact: e.mcderra@nhs.net
Geradline Birks, DCP Tutor
Dental Care Professional Tutor | Clinical Case Examiner | Dental Specialist Advisor | BA (Hons), LCGI, PGCE, SAAD, MRSPH, FDTFEd
Geraldine Birks is a highly respected figure in dental education and regulation, with over two decades of experience in the field. As a Dental Care Professional Tutor, she is responsible for commissioning and supporting the delivery of high-quality education and training across the dental workforce. Her approach is rooted in multi-professional collaboration, ensuring that development pathways reflect the evolving needs of modern healthcare.
Geraldine began her career in dentistry in 2000 and holds a wide range of professional qualifications, including the NEBDN National Certificate in Dental Nursing, NEBDN Dental Conscious Sedation, NEBDN Oral Health Educators Certificate, and the ILM Dental Decontamination Leadership Programme. She is also a Dental Licentiate and serves as a Legionella Responsible Person, reflecting her dedication to patient safety and clinical excellence.
Her regulatory expertise is extensive. Geraldine serves as a Clinical Case Examiner and Interim Manager with the General Dental Council (GDC), where she has also acted as an Investigating Committee Chair. Her previous roles with the GDC include being a Quality Assurance Education Inspector for UK dental schools and Registration Assessor for both EEA and Non-EEA applicants.
Geraldine is also a Dental Specialist Advisor to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and a Fellow of the Faculty of Dental Trainers, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, where she served on the Executive Board for eight years until stepping down in 2024. She continues to maintain clinical practice in York, ensuring her work remains grounded in current clinical realities.
Beyond dentistry, Geraldine contributes to broader healthcare and public service. She sits on the General Optical Council (GOC) Registration Committee and Advisory Panel and is also a dedicated Mounted Community Volunteer with Humberside Police.
Geraldine’s diverse roles and enduring commitment to excellence make her a distinguished leader in dental education, healthcare regulation, and public engagement.
Contact: geraldine.birks@nhs.net
Paul Wright, Dental Tutor
Paul qualified at Sheffield in 1980 and has 38 years experience of working in and running an NHS practice.
Paul has been a tutor in postgraduate education since 2003 and currently holds the positions of Postgraduate Dental Tutor (Sheffield) and Restoring the Efficiency of Registrants (RER) Adviser (Yorkshire and the Humber)
Contact: paul.wright8@nhs.net
Rachael Nichol, Dental Tutor
Qualifications:
BChD, MFDS RCS (Eng), M Dent Sci (Paed Dent), M Paed Dent RCS (Eng), FDSRCS (Paed Dent) (Eng), PG Cert HCL (Open), PG Cert Clin Ed (University of Leeds), FHEA
Rachael Nichol is an experienced Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry, currently serving as the Clinical Lead for the Mid Yorkshire Teaching Trust, Community Dental Service in West Yorkshire. She graduated from Leeds Dental School in 2000 and completed her specialty training across a range of institutions, including Leeds Dental Institute, Barnsley Community Dental Service, Melbourne Children’s Hospital, and The Royal London. She was appointed as a consultant in 2009.
Rachael is a committed member of the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD), currently serving on its Executive Team and set to take on the role of President in 2026.
Dedicated to improving children’s oral health and advancing dental education, Rachael has played a pivotal role in developing and delivering training programmes. She pioneered the UK’s first Level 2 complexity care training programme in paediatric dentistry which has led to general dental practitioners being commissioned to provide enhanced care within general practice settings.
With a strong passion for teaching, she actively supervises and mentors dentists at foundation, core, and specialty levels. Rachael is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, reflecting her commitment to excellence in clinical education.
Contact: rachael.nichol1@nhs.net
Steve Ross, Dental Tutor
Steve Ross is a general dental practitioner in Guiseley, near Leeds who is Postgraduate Tutor with focus on practical, hands-on courses in the Yorkshire region.
Contact: stephenross88@hotmail.com
