Friday 26 March 2021
17:16
NHS contracts England
We are angry and frustrated that as we come towards the end of Friday 26 March, we still do not have clarification from NHS England as to the contractual arrangements that will come into effect for general practice from next Thursday 1 April.
We have been in constant contact with NHS England this week urging them to share the detail of what comes next. It is simply unacceptable that practices and their teams are left with this uncertainty hanging over them at what is an already hugely stressful time. We understand that the information will be released on Monday, but then publication deadlines have already come and gone this week.
We will of course do what we can to advise and support the profession once we have clarity over the new arrangements.
13:18
Do you know the signs of domestic abuse?
A letter has been sent to all NHS healthcare workers regarding
domestic abuse during COVID-19. It outlines the key signs of domestic abuse and the support services that are available, to members of the public and NHS staff.
Anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexuality or background. If you are worried that a friend, neighbour or loved one is a victim of domestic abuse, then you can freephone the 24-hour
National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
10:04
England: COVID business interruption loans are coming to an end
Next Wednesday the
Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans Scheme will come to an end.
This also means that practices who took out a loan last year will now receive notifications that they will need to start paying it back after 12 months interest free. This is likely to add potential hardship for practices who are still trying to overcome the impact of the pandemic.
The scheme, which allows businesses to apply for a loan of up to 25% of their annual turnover, was provided through the British Business Bank and a group of accredited providers. Its primary aim was to provide financial support to SMEs who have experienced lost revenue and cash flow disruptions as a result of the pandemic.
The Government have promised to work to provide a new government-guaranteed loan scheme, of which we are waiting for more information.
Thursday 25 March 2021
16:12
Wrong tooth extractions removed from Never Event list
From 1 April 2021
wrong tooth extraction will no longer be considered a never event, NHS England-Improvement has confirmed.
This is an issue that we have been working on for a number of years and believe it should come as reassuring news for dentists, who will no longer be required to declare these incidents as never events. All other existing reporting remains in place.
Never events are a specifically defined serious patient safety incident that is wholly preventable due to strong systemic barriers resulting from the implementation of national guidance. Following BDA representation from all branches of practice and clinical academia, it is now accepted that the national guidance in relation to tooth extraction does not provide the strong systemic barriers necessary to meet the definition of a never event.
This removal from the list means that there are now no dental-specific never events in England, the BDA having previously secured the removal of wrong-site blocks.
Following this news, the Welsh Government has confirmed that the removal of wrong site tooth extraction as a never event will also apply to Wales.
12:07
Northern Ireland: Additional PPE financial support confirmed
The Department of Health has confirmed additional
financial support will be made available to support practices with PPE costs. 'Top-up' payments will be issued to those practices where higher activity levels has meant a lower share of PPE funding in proportion to item of service (IoS) claims, under the abatement model.
This additional one-off payment aims to bring practices who have received lower funding for PPE proportionally up to a position of receiving £0.50 per £1 of IoS claims. It applies to the period from July 2020 to April 21.
Where 'in-practice' arrangements on PPE costs may exist, such as where associates have been asked to pay a proportion of PPE costs, the Department has suggested practice owners may wish to consider the implications of this additional payment.
Payments are expected to be issued in the coming weeks. We have highlighted how the PPE funding model has been a significant barrier to NHS activity and we're pleased to see this addressed by the Department.
11:33
Discussing vaccination with your team
We suggest that practices discuss the vaccination with all members of the dental team. The University of Bristol has produced a helpful
Communications Handbook on this. It's important that concerns about the vaccine are discussed in good time and sensitively.
The vaccine is important in our fight against coronavirus, but practices should be aware that they cannot insist that staff have the vaccine when it is offered. If, after a discussion, a member of the dental team refuses to have the vaccine, the practice must accept that decision.
In any event, practices should ensure that all members of the dental team continue to adhere to the standard operating procedures and to practice policies and procedures. The situation is no different for associates. For more information on vaccination, pregnancy and the dental team see
our FAQs.
10:55
Update on the future of Public Health England
In August 2020, the Government announced it would be transitioning Public Health England (PHE) into a new body, which was then to be called the National Institute for Health Protection. Today it was announced this would now be the
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has also announced Ian Peters as the new chair and Dr Jenny Harries as the chief executive of the UKHSA, succeeding Dido Harding who was Executive Chair of NHS Track and Trace. The agency's mission will be to prevent and respond to external health threats such as infectious diseases and focus on the continued fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
We have been
calling for clarity on the transition, particularly in respect of what will happen to dental public health consultant roles. Clarity is still urgently needed on where the responsibility for dental public health will sit, and how it will operate, under any new arrangements.
More information is expected next week, for now the Chair of our Dental Public Health Committee, Dr Robert& Witton said: "Back in August, we expressed concerns that years of work and experience in dental public health may fall by the wayside. We once again call on Government to protect our members' jobs and ensure that dental public health continues to be valued and resourced."
09:51
Top tips for Dental Core Training interviews
Part of COVID-19's impact on Dental Core Training (DCT) has been to make all interviews for National Recruitment virtual for the first time ever. This is a whole new format and it is difficult to predict exactly how they will be conducted and assessed.
Thankfully, we can assume that many of the same qualities and skills will still be tested. And although the process may be daunting, you're not alone in preparing for this. Based on the last few years of national recruitment, Anurag Srinivas has written a
blog putting together some top tips for DCT interviews. We hope this gives you a good starting point and a bit more confidence as you prepare for your interview.
Wednesday 24 March 2021
13:24
Join our webinar on Practitioner Health support services
Register today for our lunchtime webinar on Friday 26 March at 12:30 - 13:30 to
improve your awareness of mental health and bereavement support available to dentists and trainees.
This will be a live interview-style webinar session with Professor Dame Clare Gerada, Medical Director of Practitioner Health, and Roz McMullan, Past BDA President and advocate for wellbeing in dentistry.
It will cover what you need to know about:
- Practitioner Health's self-referral support service for mental health issues
- How to support your team to know that it's okay to not be okay, and to seek professional help
- The other wellbeing and prevention resources available to you.
12:03
Dental students: Share your stories
20% of all applications for financial support to the BDA Benevolent Fund come from dental students, and the charity supports students in hardship by offering means tested grants and mental health and wellbeing support.
Now the BDA Benevolent Fund are looking for students to attend its next virtual
Advisory Council meeting to share their experiences and perhaps provide guidance, support, and advice to the charity's Board of Trustees. They are particularly keen to understand how best to promote its work to dental students and so would welcome undergraduates, recent graduates and those that work at universities across the UK to participate. If you're a dental student, please consider attending on Saturday 24 April at 10.30. Your voice can make a difference.
11:58
Regulatory changes regarding the import/export of human tissues and cells
Following EU Exit, regulatory changes came into effect in Great Britain regarding the
import or export of human tissues and cells. These changes will affect your practice if you send (export) or receive (import) human tissues or cells to/from the European Economic Area (EEA) for human application.
Does your practice buy human bone, pericardium or dermal tissue products from an EU company? If so, you will need an HTA licence from 1 July 2021. If you buy these products via a UK supplier, however, the UK supplier will be the importer and they will require the licence rather than you as a user.
10:44
Want to run a marathon to help dentists?
The
BDA Benevolent Fund helps dentists, dental students and their families in hardship with financial assistance as well as offering accessing mental health and wellbeing support. And this year they're looking for three runners to run the Virtual Virgin Money London Marathon on their behalf this year. It's a great way of raising awareness and much-needed funds. You'll have a full 24 hours to complete your 26.2 miles on Sunday 3 October and can do it anywhere in the country, so don't miss out!
If you are interested, please complete an
expression of interest form by 9am Monday 12 April. Runners will be shortlisted, chosen and notified by Friday 16 April.
09:14
Do you know the signs of domestic abuse?
A letter has been sent to all NHS healthcare workers regarding
domestic abuse during COVID-19. It outlines the key signs of domestic abuse and the support services that are available, to members of the public and NHS staff.
Anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexuality or background. If you are worried that a friend, neighbour or loved one is a victim of domestic abuse, then you can freephone the 24-hour
National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
Tuesday 23 March 2021
16:40
England: COVID business interruption loans are coming to an end
On 31 March the
Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans Scheme will come to an end.
This also means that practices who took out a loan last year will now receive notifications that they will need to start paying it back after 12 months interest free. This is likely to add potential hardship for practices who are still trying to overcome the impact of the pandemic.
The scheme, which allows businesses to apply for a loan of up to 25% of their annual turnover, was provided through the British Business Bank and a group of accredited providers. Its primary aim was to provide financial support to SMEs who have experienced lost revenue and cash flow disruptions as a result of the pandemic.
The Government have promised to work to provide a new government-guaranteed loan scheme, of which we are waiting for more information.
15:47
Scotland: Government to address maternity pay shortfall
The Scottish Government
will review its system for calculating maternity payments.
This follows discussions we have had with the government regarding concerns from pregnant dentists that they are being financially disadvantaged.
This is because the “test period” for calculating maternity payments is now increasingly based on the COVID support payments (80% of pre-pandemic gross Item of Service). This means that such dentists are receiving lower payments than would normally be the case.
The new payment system will also apply to paternity and adoptive leave, and long-term sick leave.
The Government has also committed to introducing an intermediate funding model (which may last 1-2 years) before considering a long-term replacement for the SDR. The intermediate arrangements will allow practices to plan their finances, and we are looking forward to contributing to their development.
David McColl, Chair, British Dental Association's Scottish Dental Practice Committee said: "A number of colleagues have contacted us in recent weeks to express their anxiety at this situation. The last thing pregnant dentists need is the additional stress of financial pressures, and the Government has listened to our concerns and taken appropriate action."
We look forward to receiving further details in due course.
13:09
Wales: Update on financial support measures
The Welsh CDO has
written to all primary care dental teams in Wales, providing detailed guidance on the contractual arrangements for quarter one and two FY2021-2022.
This covers issues such as specialist contracts, UDA delivery, mandatory use of ACORN findings, fluoride varnishes, AGPs, ventilation, and new patients.
We're preparing a side agreement for associates, which covers this period and will make it available as soon as possible.
09:32
England: ARF can be paid in instalments
Today, the General Dental Council (GDC) has announced it will offer an option to registrants to pay the Annual Retention Fee (ARF) by instalment. This will mean quarterly Direct Debits of £170 for those dentists wishing to use the new arrangements.
This represents much needed change from the GDC and follows over a decade of our campaigning. The ability to pay by instalments is one of the basics any registrant should expect from their regulator.
It’s been clear to us a single large annual payment has represented a barrier for some registrants, particularly those at the outset of their careers, with the deadline at the time of year where many already experience significant financial pressure.
The GDC had previously argued that the move was impossible under its current legal framework, or that it would be too costly to be workable. But we weren't prepared to take no for an answer.
This is good news that so many have long hoped for, and we await details on how the system will operate.
Shareena Ilyas, Chair of the British Dental Association’s Education, Ethics and the Dental Team Working Group said: “A single large annual payment has proved a real barrier for many dentists, particularly those just starting out".
Monday 22 March 2021
15:09
Northern Ireland: Building better oral healthcare after COVID-19
Has "the new normal" provided an opportunity to address oral health inequalities in Northern Ireland?
Caroline Lappin, Chair of NI Council and Clinical Director for the CDS in the South Eastern Trust, address this question in her new blog "Building better healthcare after COVID-19. In her words:
"The pandemic put this vital work on hold, but I'm pleased to say it has now restarted... We must build on the work we'd started before the pandemic to create a new, and sustainable oral health vision for Northern Ireland, and the improved outcomes this will deliver."
14:59
England: Update on Associates' pay
We recently met with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England to raise the issue of associates who were not correctly paid, or at all, for the first three quarters of 2020-21.
We’ve been raising this issue since it first became apparent that a small, but significant, minority of practices were not doing the right thing and passing on payments as the NHS England guidance requires. At the time, we even went as far as to draft legislative proposals for the DHSC to use, but regrettably, this was not taken up at the time.
This now leaves us in the position where the DHSC can’t retrospectively put in place legislation to remedy this issue.
However, NHS England will be requiring providers to declare that they have met all of the requirements of their contractual payments for 2020-21, including the obligation to pay associates and other staff, as part of their end-of-year reconciliation.
Should practices make a false declaration, there is a possibility of an NHS Counter Fraud investigation into this. This provides practices with the opportunity to determine associate pay in advance of the end-of-year process.
Associates who have experienced an issue with their pay should report this through the BSA form. This should be done even if you have already raised an issue previously.
13:35
Dentists can help to tackle vaccine misinformation
How can dentists help tackle vaccine misinformation and better engage the BAME community in this great national effort? A fifth-year dental student, Mustafa Nawaz Khan, tackles this question in his recent blog:
"So far, my team and I have given over 20,000 vaccinations at my local practice in the multi-cultural borough of Haringey, North London, but I'm very concerned that the vast majority of those coming in to be vaccinated are white. This is not representative of the demographic of the area and it's becoming clear that meeting BAME vaccination targets is one of the major challenges facing the vaccination programme nationally. However, I believe dentists can help."
10:05
Take a minute to reflect
The global pandemic has meant the biggest challenge in a generation for the health service across the UK. The dental profession, as with other health care professions, has lost valued colleagues to this virus and our condolences go to all those who have lost loved ones.
Tomorrow (23 March),
Marie Curie are inviting everyone to take a minute to reflect and a moment to connect as part of a National #DayOfReflection. Join the one minute silence at 12 noon to show your support for the millions of people who've been bereaved as a result of the pandemic.
