Scottish Government must pause BDA warns
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- Published: Sunday, 29 November -0001 23:58
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An exercise to recover money allegedly paid to dental practices because of bureaucratic errors by Scottish Government should be postponed because the data on which it is based appears to be seriously flawed, the British Dental Association (BDA) has warned.
The BDA has written to the Scottish Government highlighting a number of serious concerns about the exercise that is planned, including errors in the data upon which the exercise is to be based, concerns about the shifting parameters and methodology of the exercise, and its refusal to protect the relatives of deceased practitioners from it. The BDA also believes that the exercise could destabilise some dental practices, harming the provision of patient care.
Pat Kilpatrick, Director of BDA Scotland, said: “The Scottish Government has imposed a registration system against the profession’s advice and, unsurprisingly, it has hit problems. That, in itself, is bad enough. But on top of that we now learn that it intends to press ahead despite clear flaws in its data; thereby likely creating extra problems. Its refusal to exclude deceased practitioners from the recovery exercise – meaning their widows and widowers may be harassed – serves only to compound an impression that this is an ill-considered endeavour.
“The Scottish Government has done much that is positive to develop dental care in recent years – improving access for patients and developing the widely-respected Childsmile scheme, for instance – but here it risks a shameful blight on its record. We urge it to take the time necessary to address issues with the data before attempting to progress the exercise which, we should not forget, is necessary to address problems of its own making.”
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