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Scotland: Update on Dental Reform implementation

The implementation of Dental Reform that began roll out in November 2023 has reached a new stage.

From 1 August 2024 changes include:

  • Capture annotation / material information to support clinical governance
  • Oral health metrics
  • Provision of reason for item 1-(c) Unscheduled care assessment and treatment
  • eDental validation rules.

A letter from the CDO outlined the rationale for the collection of oral health metrics for adults. 

The Statement of Dental Renumeration contains provisos on when an item, and therefore a fee, can or cannot be claimed. Alerts on Practice Management Software (PMS) could help to flag up potential claim errors before submission, for example when an item has a ‘time bar’ associated with it. We would encourage you to contact your PMS supplier to enquire about the availability of this function and to consider if alerts would be helpful.

We have raised several concerns about these changes with Practitioner Services Division (PSD) and the Scottish Government and will continue to seek clarity on a number of outstanding issues. We will update you as soon as we can, and we will also seek feedback from the Scottish Government and PSD on the impact of these changes.