COVID-19: Update: CDO England issues further advice on infection control
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- Published: Wednesday, 02 September 2020 09:58
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The Chief Dental Officer (England) Sara Hurley, has sent updated guidance to dentists on continued safe operating during the Covid-19 pandemic. It concentrates on cross infection control measures, based on requirements of Public Health England. It can be found at:
The CDO thanked dentists ‘for all your efforts in broadening access to dental care and supporting the collective NHS focus on a return to full operating capability across the whole of healthcare’. She continues: ‘The vast majority of dental practices are open for face to face care and remote consultations remain a vital triage step with a focus on recall and care for high risk patients and children. These priorities sit alongside commitments to the completion of pre-COVID treatment plans and maintaining capacity for unscheduled care.’
However, the current requirement to have a ‘fallow time’ of one-hour post Aerosol Generating Procedures, largely remains although there is some relaxation for dental surgeries with ventilation systems, which should be set to provide the maximum amount of fresh air and the maximum number of air changes.
UK wide infection prevention and control guidance has been revised and updated.
Dental staff who have been shielding are now able to return to work. Practices are advised to undertake an individual risk assessment to support an individual’s return to work.
The CDO concludes by saying: “I remain committed to listening to feedback, to seeking out evidence and expert opinion in order to revise our clinical policies and guidance.”
BDA advice
To keep up to date with developments from the BDA, dentists should visit their Coronavirus update page[i], which is available to all whether or not they are members and is continuously revised.
[i] https://bda.org/advice/Coronavirus/Pages/latest-updates.aspx
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