Friday 19 August 2022
10:13
England: New PM must prioritise dentistry
The next Prime Minister must
commit to urgent reform in NHS dentistry and prioritise action on the crisis. Access in the seats held by both leadership candidates is close to zero.
BBC research has revealed the scale of the crisis facing dentistry with 9/10 practices currently unable to take on new adult patients on the NHS. The discredited NHS contract, which puts government targets ahead of patient care, is fuelling the access crisis.
We have reached a tipping point and the next PM must urgently address funding and reform. After a decade of savage cuts, we estimate it would take an additional £880 million a year simply to restore funding to 2010 levels.
Thursday 18 August 2022
14:18
England: How will NHS contractual changes impact you?
We are holding an evening webinar and a training day in London in September to help you understand how NHS contractual changes will impact you and your practice.
Evening webinar:
NHS contractual changes on Thursday 1 September (19:30 - 20:30)
Members can attend for free. Tickets cost £50 for non-members.
Day-long training session in London:
NHS Dentistry on Friday 30 September
Tickets cost £150 for members and £200 for non-members.
The sessions will be followed by a chance to ask questions at the end, we encourage members and non-members to register now and secure a space.
09:46
Collapse in NHS earnings will hasten demise of NHS dentistry
Failure to correct years of pay restraint will stoke the access crisis, as new official data shows real incomes have fallen by up to 40% - the highest levels in the UK public sector.
Official figures show that since the Financial Crash real pay for NHS associates in England fell by 37%, from £67,800 to £42,847. The same picture is repeated across devolved nations, with falls of 35% in both Northern Ireland and Scotland, and 34% in Wales.
While data shows the first year of the pandemic saw increases in earnings for practice owners, this appears to have been largely the result of significantly reduced expenses, given the fall in clinical activity owing to Covid restrictions. This reflects the unique effects of the early pandemic period, rather than representing any meaningful recovery in earnings in the service.
Any increases have already been demolished by the soaring costs of delivering NHS care, and we know a huge number of owners in England now face significant financial penalties for failure to hit unachievable activity targets imposed during the pandemic.
We've estimated
'dental inflation' at over 11%, and overall inflation rates are now at 10.1%, a new 40-year high. We are seeking assurances from all UK administrations that these inflationary pressures are reflected in final awards.
Wednesday 17 August 2022
14:04
England: Year-end calculations
Members in England have been receiving year-end reports from NHS England in respect of the contract year 2021-2022. The calculations for distribution of UDAs across the 1st half, 3rd quarter and 4th quarter are not always simple.
We have seen cases where 'carry forward' from previous years has not been distributed as it should have been according to NHS England's own guidance. That
guidance states in paragraph 6 "Carry forward of over-delivered activity will be prorated and allocated to the scheduled activity for each of the time periods. If a contractor is below the minimum threshold, then the carry forward should be distributed in a way to minimise the financial impact on practices." Please make sure you check the calculations carefully and reply in time if there are any issues.
Extra and Expert members can use
our spreadsheet
which helps to calculate clawback and abatement depending on the spread of UDAs and UOAs throughout the NHS contract year. We encourage members to check their figures with the BSA before making important decisions for the practice.
We're also aware that some contractors are likely to face difficulties repaying large sums in abatement and clawback within the standard three-month period. In these instances, we would advise that you contact your local commissioners as soon as possible to discuss options to extend the repayment period. Commissioners should have discretion to negotiate a reasonable repayment plan.
Where Extra and Expert members have completed
our spreadsheet
and have further questions, please contact us by emailing
advice.enquiries@bda.org. Although, due to high demand there is a delay in response times.
08:42
Northern Ireland: Exploring the history of dentistry
The Lindsay Society exists to promote interest and study into the history of dentistry. The society's annual conference is open to anyone, members, or non-members with like-minded interests.
This year the conference will be held in Belfast between 7 – 9 October.
In her latest blog, Roz McMullan gives a preview of the fun and what to expect throughout the weekend.
From a colourful tie collection to titanic dentistry the lecture programme has something for everyone. The society hope to see more people than ever to celebrate this year, so register now to secure your spot!
Tuesday 16 August 2022
15:21
Make your voice heard
Dentists are facing unprecedented pressure, in all fields of practice and in every UK nation. The recent pay uplifts do not keep pace with inflation, let alone address the real terms pay-cut dentists have endured over the last decade.
Terms and conditions in many fields of practice are outdated and not fit for purpose. It has never been more important to keep up the pressure, to ensure meaningful change. We need to hear the ways you might consider helping push decision-makers to act.
Help to amplify our efforts and be the collective voice for dentistry by sharing your views in our
5-minute survey
on the recent pay uplift, the situation on contractual arrangements and the prospect for reform.
Monday 15 August 2022
16:32
Does your practice have a menopause policy?
The majority of the dental workforce will be directly affected by menopause. To help you support members of the dental team going through these changes, we've put together a new menopause and perimenopause policy
.
The aim of this new policy is to assist with creating an open and honest workplace, where any issues associated with the perimenopause and menopause can be discussed and the necessary support offered.
You may also be interested in the BDJ's collection of articles which focus on the impact of the menopause on mental health, creating a menopause-friendly workplace and supporting employees experiencing menopausal symptoms.
11:22
Scotland: PhD programmes for health professionals
We recently shared a
blog from Scottish dental student, Craig Smith, who is developing an early detection model to help shape cancer prevention as part of the TRACC PhD programme.
Dundee Dental School are offering a fully funded PhD in intergenerational multimorbidity and pathways to oral health in early childhood. The PhD uses administrative data to explore pathways to oral health in childhood.
The opportunity is a chance to help improve the health of children and support valuable work to develop better pathways to oral health. If you are interested in the opportunity,
you can find out more through the University of Glasgow.
