Friday 3 March 2023
16:01
Health and safety law poster
Under the Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations (HSIER), all employers have a legal duty to display the official HSE poster in a prominent position in each workplace location, ensuring that all workers can read and have access to it.
Only the Health and Safety Executive can approve a version of the poster and we are aware that some suppliers are selling fake versions online that have not received such approval. If you do not wish to display the poster (and you cannot print a copy yourself), you can provide your staff with a copy of the equivalent leaflet.
The posters are
available in A2 for £12.50 (£15.00 inc. VAT) or
alternatively in A3 for £8.50 (£10.20 inc. VAT). The
leaflet is free to download if you prefer to do that rather than display the posters in your practice.
13:53
Updated library opening hours
Starting from this week, our library building is now open for members and researchers from Wednesday to Friday. The new opening hours are 10:00 to 16:00.
If you would like to visit for longer than an hour, please
book an appointment with us, otherwise feel free to drop by at any time.
The library staff will be available to contact as usual between 9.00 and 18.00 Monday to Friday on 020 7563 4545 or
library@bda.org.
09:37
England: Requirement for workforce data collection removed The NHS BSA confirmed contractors only had to fill out the workforce data collection form if they expect to receive income protection for quarter one of 2022/23, between April and June 2022.
We worked to remove this requirement, arguing against its necessity due to all income protection arrangements removal from July 2022. For the first quarter of 2022/23, the NHS set a performance threshold of 95% for contractors. However, as expressed in April 2022, a review at year-end will decide if quarter one will be treated as a stand-alone period.
Contractors should complete the forms for April, May and June of 2022, to ensure benefitting from income protection arrangements, if eligible.
Thursday 2 March 2023
16:18
Eating Disorders and their effect on oral health
This week is Eating Disorder Awareness Week, and we recognise that people's dietary habits can play a vital role in their oral health.
An eating disorder is a mental health condition where, to cope with difficult situations or emotions, a disordered eating behaviour is adopted. Anyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or cultural background can develop one, with estimates from the
eating disorder charity Beat revealing that around 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder.
Eating disorder related behaviour, such as food restriction and frequent vomiting, can increase the risk of the individual developing poor oral health.
Read
Dr Elaine Boylan's blog for more information.
13:47
Scotland: NHS issues PPE supply extensionNHS National Services Scotland
issued a memo yesterday extending the current supply of PPE through until the end of the next financial year (31 March 2024).
The PPE supplied centrally will continue to be provided until relevant pandemic PPE stock holdings are depleted or there is a relevant change to the National Infection Prevention and Control PPE guidance if these occur prior to 31 March 2024.
13:26
Wales: Second survey launches for GDPs
We’re representing your interests and experiences to Welsh Government. We’re building a picture of general dentistry and your ability under the current volumetrics to continue to provide NHS care. We are also interested in practices converting to private care. Please take a few minutes to
complete our survey. Your views matter.
11:18
Tackling soaring dental student debt
From our recent research
published in the latest BDJ, it emerged that the total debt of final year students and recent dental graduates has more than doubled from 2013 to 2022.
The increased student fees between 2010 and 2016, along with the loss of student grants in 2016, played a vital part in the levels of debt faced by students.
More students have increasingly been borrowing from loan companies and family and friends, with students from highly disadvantaged socioeconomic groups more likely to consider dropping out due to financial difficulties.
We will continue to push to ensure current and future dental students’ needs are met through a fully funded long-term plan and they receive an adequate level of maintenance support.
Wednesday 1 March 2023
16:01
Northern Ireland: Annual CDS Study Day
The Northern Ireland Division of the CDS Group is hosting their
Annual CDS Study Day on Thursday 23 March from 9:00 to 16:30 in the River Room at the Dunadry Hotel, Antrim.
The event is tailored for Community dentists and provides 5 hours of verifiable CPD on several topics, including the treatment of diabetic patients, the treatment of bariatric patients, an update in restorative dental materials and an update on the Encompass programme.
The Northern Ireland CDS Division can often feel quite isolated. Members often must travel across the UK to attend CDS specific event, making this the perfect setting for Community Dentists to connect and network with colleagues in their region.
You can
register here to secure your place.
13:35
Wales: NHS pay award enhancement announced for salaried staff
Yesterday, Welsh Government announced that the NHS pay award enhancement for 2022/2023 had been accepted, following a ballot of Trade Unions. BDA Wales had one vote in this ballot, due to our seat on the NHS All Wales Trade Union Partnership Forum. The partnership forum gave its collected vote yesterday.
The enhanced pay offer for 22/23 comprises an additional 3%, 1.5% consolidated and 1.5% non-consolidated on top of the increase paid earlier this year. In total, this equates to an additional 7.6% on the NHS pay bill for 22/23.
We will continue to engage in future pay negotiations, as well as in the implementation of these pay changes.
12:28
Understanding NHS rules face-to-face workshop
On Friday 17 March from 09:30 - 16:30, we're holding an interactive workshop at our London office for associates, practice owners and practice managers. You'll gain a better understanding of the grey areas in NHS regulations and explore moving practices into a profitable mixed offer.
We want to provide dental teams with more understanding of obligations under the NHS contract, the legislation behind NHS treatments and claims, how to effectively work in a UDA system, and more. The workshop carries 5.5 hours CPD.
You can
register here to secure your place or call 020 7563 4590.
Tuesday 28 February 2023
14:54
Event: Buying a dental practice If you are considering buying your own practice in the near or medium-term future, you may want to
join our event on
Friday 23 June, offering you a comprehensive guide to buying a dental practice.
The event will take place at 64 Wimpole Street, London from 09:00 - 17:00 and will cover:
- The financials of buying a practice and writing your business plan
- The legal process of buying a practice
- Understanding your obligations as an employer
- The regulations and compliance issues involved in running a dental practice.
Preparing yourself in advance can help to reduce the stress and strain placed on you during the practice purchase process.
Register now to join our interactive workshop, providing you with the tools needed to successfully navigate practice ownership.
Monday 27 February 2023
15:40
What you need to know about planned pay cuts
At a time when inflation is rising to double digits, the Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed a budgeted pay rise of just 3.5% for the impending financial year.
The figure translates in a further pay decrease for NHS dentists. In Northern Ireland the 2023-24 pay uplift has been indicated as 'unaffordable' without cuts or additional in-year funding.
In our
evidence to the Pay Review Body for NHS dentists we clearly stated that this is a crisis of recruitment, retention, motivation and, critically for patients, availability to deliver NHS dental services.
Urgent action is crucial to address the ongoing real terms decline of dentists' pay, and we'll will continue to press for real reform of the pay review process.
13:14
Wales: formal GDS contract negotiations to commence
Chair of the Welsh General Dental Practice Committee (WGDPC), Russell Gidney, recently received a letter of invitation from the Deputy Director for Primary Care and Mental Health indicating the Welsh Government's intention to commence formal General Dental Service contract negotiations in March.
The letter illustrates a timescale whereby our mandate is delivered at the start of March and the formal negotiation process concludes by May. While we have started working on the necessary arrangements, we expressed to the government the unfeasibility of their timeline.
The WGDPC will devise the mandate through proper processes, including engaging with the profession. Between February and March, we will do so with
our blogs and surveys.
It's common diplomacy to keep commentary on government policy low key during the negotiation process, however we have several vital messages to share before entering that phase.
11:35
Wales: GDS contract reform survival hinges on political tide change
The
results of our survey on the GDS contract reform volumetrics, the UDA-only option, and the choices the profession is facing for 2023-24 reveal a grim picture ahead.
Your responses clearly show that confidence in both the contract reform process and political leadership has been lost. These results resonate with everything we have been warning the Welsh Government about for many months.
If the political tide doesn't urgently change, the NHS dental service in Wales will become hollowed out. We will continue to fight for fair treatment and won't stop until all avenues are exhausted. Together we are stronger.
Friday 24 February 2023
16:02
Video: Monthly round-up
In our latest video CEO Martin Woodrow highlights the ways we've been supporting you throughout February.
You can read the full stories outlined in the video here:
We will keep you updated as we continue to push for progress on these areas and for meaningful, long-term contract reform.
