Countdown to opening your dental practice: 10 days to go in England
- Details
- Published: Thursday, 28 May 2020 18:53
- Written by News Editor
- Hits: 2254
The CDO (England) has written to all practices to tell them that they should all open from Monday June 8 for all face to face care, but only where they assess that they have the necessary IPC and PPE requirements in place. It gives further advice on the sequencing and scheduling of patients for treatment. But practices must use their clinical judgement of their ability to risk manage the delivery of dental care, as service provision is re-commenced.
Sara Hurley, Chief Dental Officer and Matt Neligan, Director of Primary Care and System Transformation have written to all practices saying that working with the British Dental Association, wider professional representative groups and the dental industry, they have consensus on the commencement of reopening services.
They support the full resumption of routine dental care, in a way that is safe, operationally deliverable and allows dental practices flexibility to do what is best for patients and their teams. Central to this is the acknowledged clinical judgement of practitioners and their ability to risk manage the delivery of dental care, as service provision is re-commenced.
They are asking that all dental practices commence opening from Monday 8 June for all face to face care, where practices assess that they have the necessary IPC and PPE requirements in place. Their advice is that the sequencing and scheduling of patients for treatment as services resume should take into account:
- the urgency of needs
- the particular unmet needs of vulnerable groups
- available capacity to undertake activity
Progression to resumption of the full range of routine dental care will be risk-managed by the individual practice and can include aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs), subject to following the necessary IPC and PPE requirements. Dental practices should also take steps to risk assess their workforce and take commensurate actions. There also remains a need to be able to respond to any local or national re-imposition of public health measures should they arise.
Financial and contractual arrangements
Initially they will maintain the current temporary contract arrangements to make monthly payments in 2020-21 to all practices that are equal to 1/12th of their current annual contract value, subject to abatement for lower costs. They continue to work with the BDA on the mechanisms for the full 2020-21 contract year with the intention of reintroducing a link to delivery of activity and outcomes.
They add: “A number of dentists have been asking if the advice to NHS dental providers also applies to the private dental sector. We recommend a single approach to the safe and effective resumption of dental care.”
BDA Chair Mick Armstrong has said: "A return of high street dentistry will be welcome news to millions of patients left with few options during lockdown, but key questions remain. It is right to allow practices to decide themselves when they are ready to open. Dentists will be keen to start providing care as soon as safely possible, but we will need everyone to be patient as practices get up and running. Dentists can open their doors but won’t be able to provide a full range of care without the necessary kit. Longer term practices can only stay afloat with ongoing support, while social distancing continues and the costs of providing care are sky high."
You need to be logged in to leave comments.
Report