'NHS Dentistry Update' - Reading Between The Lines
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- Published: Thursday, 06 October 2022 07:52
- Written by Peter Ingle
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Its that time again when the Chief Dental Officer for England, Sara Hurley and Director of Primary Care, Ursula Montgomery, send out an update to dental teams.
These updates are as informative for what they omit, as the details that are provided.
Dated the 29th of September the Update deals with changes that will come into effect on October 1st. There is no hint of apology for such a chaotic approach, it is probably assumed that NHS contactors will be used to waiting to the last minute to discover what they will be expected to do.
The update starts off reminding contractors that they need to ensure that their teams are offered immunisation against flu. It adds that where age or clinical risk makes them eligible, that the immunisation could be available within the NHS. It does not say as much, but the implication is clear that practice owners will need to pay for other team members immunisation.
The enhanced UDA value for courses including endodontic treatment is not automatic. Indeed dentists will need to include extra information on this on FP17’s from October 1st. Hopefully software suppliers have had a chance to add the relevant fields.
That is not the only extra work required on FP17’s. Highest BPE sextant scores and the number of untreated decayed teeth will need to be added to almost all claims. A section that covers the recommended recall, based upon NICE guidance will also be mandatory from October 1st. The statement that “we continue to work” on “the optimal presentation of this information” is likely to indicate that it is either still not finalised, cumbersome, or will become even more demanding.
The comment that dental system suppliers will provide training on completing these sections to their clients, ignores the lack of time available for this.
Promoting more effective use of the skill mix is one of the great hopes for easing the access crisis, and once again there is work for contractors. They are advised to have “an individual conversation” with each DCP “to ascertain current levels of competence and confidence and (provide) any support required to work to their full scope of practice.” Use of skill mix, will also require more information being added to the FP17.
Additional guidance on promoting dental team working is promised for October 2022, so this guidance will not be available at the time that the changes are introduced. The dental claims companies may be looking forward to some new opportunities after October 1st. Legal advice to hygienists and therapists remains to not commence NHS treatments, although the CDO wrote that this was the case.
While clinicians will need to add the extra information from October 1st some of the changes need regulatory amendments. So, the extra UDA’s for multiple extractions and posterior endodontic treatment will not come at the same time. The regulatory changes are “anticipated” by the end of November, but while the extra form filling requirement has a definite and almost immediate starting date, the enhanced UDA rate is merely “anticipated” to arrive at least two months later.
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