Friday 4 June 2021
14:14
Living with the threat of vicarious liability
Can practice owners ever completely protect themselves from the risk of vicarious liability?
Many of you will already be familiar with the recent court case in which a dental practice owner was found to be vicariously liable for the errors of his associate.
Our members have been calling us to express concern. To reassure them, we have taken advice from legal counsel to find out whether (and how) practice owners can protect themselves from litigation for another person’s acts and omissions.
12:19
Returning to England: Update
The government has confirmed that Portugal (including the Azores and Madeira) – which are currently on the “green list” - will move to the
“amber” one with effect from 4am on Tuesday 8 June 2021.
This means that anyone arriving in England from Portugal after that time must follow the “amber list” rules.
So, before they travel, they must:
- take a COVID-19 test
- book and pay for Day 2 and Day 8 COVID-19 travel tests (these are to be done after arrival in England)
- complete a passenger locator form
And, when they arrive in England, they must:
- quarantine at home (or in the place they are staying) for 10 days
- take a COVID-19 test on or before Day 2 and on or after Day 8
There are no exemptions to these rules for dentists or dental staff.
In addition, the following countries will move from the “amber” to the “red list” at the same time:
- Afghanistan
- Bahrain
- Costa Rica
- Egypt
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Trinidad and Tobago
This means that anyone arriving in England from the above list after that time must follow the “red list” rules.
So, before they travel, they must:
- take a COVID-19 test
- book a quarantine hotel package, including 2 COVID-19 tests
- complete a passenger locator form
And, when they arrive in England, they must:
- quarantine for 10 full days in a managed quarantine hotel (the day they arrive in England counts as Day 0)
- take a coronavirus (COVID-19) test on or before Day 2 and on or after Day 8 of quarantining
Again, there are no exemptions to these rules for dentists or dental staff.
11:51
Continuing to support you during the COVID-19 pandemic
We know that this year has been incredibly hard for dentists; therefore, I wanted to take a moment to applaud you for your efforts during a time of tremendous uncertainty.
We have been working around the clock to provide you with information, support, and resources through this page.
We developed resources to help you safely return to work. We gave advice on individual pay disputes and uncertainty, and we stood by you and advocated on your behalf to Parliament.
We will continue to fight for you during this time, so you get the support and resources you deserve. Thank you for continuing to support us.
With regards,
Eddie Crouch
Chair, BDA
Thursday 3 June 2021
14:27
Racism in dentistry: new study exploring lived experiences
As part of our commitment to tackling racism in dentistry, if you are a minority ethnic dentist working in the UK, we invite you to take part in an online diary study.
You will be asked to document any race-related encounters which occur in your work as a dentist. The encounters you describe can be positive or negative in nature, and may relate to interactions with colleagues, patients, or others. The study will take place over four weeks and participants will receive a £20 gift card upon completion.
To find out more,
complete this expression of interest and someone will be in touch if you’re eligible to proceed.
10:10
NHS England year-end declarations: Deadline extended
NHS England is aware that some practices have not yet submitted their year-end declarations. They have extended the deadline for submission until 23:59 on Monday 14 June 2021 and are sending out final reminders to practices.
09:40
Scotland: Raising concerns with the new Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport
We have written to the new Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport to highlight our concerns about
a range of issues, many of which have been exacerbated by the pandemic.
These include:
- ensuring sufficient capacity to address the backlog of unmet dental care need
- increasing the focus on prevention to help tackle oral health inequalities
- ensuring NHS dentistry remains sustainable
- improving access for vulnerable groups.
We had been pursuing these and other issues with the Scottish Government before the Scottish Parliament election and will be seeking clarity on plans and developments to address the current uncertainty among the profession.
09:14
Communicating the dangers of home teeth-whitening kits sold online
Our Board Member, Paul Woodhouse features in
the latest Which? investigation video in which he emphasises the dangers of home teeth-whitening kits sold online.
The video is in response to a Which? report into such kits which have been found to contain dangerous levels of bleaching chemical that can burn gums and cause tooth loss. The worst example had more than 300 times the recommended amount of hydrogen peroxide. A further 20 products out of 36 tested also had illegal levels of the bleach. All have since been removed from sale by outlets including AliExpress, Amazon and eBay.
Watch Paul from 1:45.
Paul states: "Hydrogen peroxide is a seriously strong chemical and not to be messed with. Dentists are trained in its usage and they also know what whitening products are effective to use and safe for teeth and gums. If you destroy gum tissue, you are never going to get it back and you lose your teeth. If it penetrates the surface of your tooth, which is likely, it's probably going to lead to the death of that tooth."
Further press on this subject includes the
BBC 'Dangerous' home teeth-whitening kits sold online and the Huffington Post Teeth whitening kits could be damaging your gnashers and gums. See our
advice on teeth whitening.
Wednesday 2 June 2021
15:29
BDJ Clinicians' Guides
Did you know, being a member entitles you to a 20% discount on the BDJ Clinicians' Guides series?
The guides enables clinicians at all stages of their careers to remain well informed and up to date on key topics across all fields of dentistry. Ideal for undergraduates and the newly qualified, they also serve as a refresher for more experienced clinicians and are valued as excellent postgraduate texts too.
To access the discount code and place your order, just visit
bda.org/bdjbooks
13:19
Equality, diversity and inclusion in dentistry: new DDAG report
The Diversity in Dentistry Action Group (DDAG) has published
Equality, diversity and inclusion within dentistry - a profession wide commitment, setting out aims, plans and recommendations for tackling inequalities in dentistry.
Their initial focus will be on racial equality in dentistry, with this later expanding to address wider protected characteristics and discrimination issues.
Laura Cross and Shareena Ilyas, Co-Chairs of the BDA’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee said:
“We are proud to have contributed to this new report from the DDAG and applaud their collaborative approach to tackling racism in the dental profession. Only together can we break down the barriers that are at the root of discrimination and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to pursue a successful career in dentistry.
“We look forward to continuing to help drive this agenda forward and to make dentistry a more inclusive and equitable profession. We are continuing with our work on equality, diversity and inclusion, investigating the issues faced within dentistry, and helping to define the solutions.”
10:03
EU settlement scheme: Reminder to apply
All dental professionals are reminded to please ensure that any EU nationals who arrived in the UK before 31 December 2020 have applied to the EU Settlement scheme to retain their current rights to live and work in the UK.
Irish nationals do not need to apply but can do so if they wish.
Application details:
-
Deadline: 30 June 2021
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Requirements: ID, proof of residency, criminal records check
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Cost: Free
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How to do it: Apply online
Depending on length of time in the UK, individuals will either receive a ‘settled status’ (if they have been here for over five years) or ‘pre-settled status’ (if they have been here for less than five years). There is then the opportunity to change to settled status after five years of residency.
Individuals who have a residency status document from earlier years must still apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.
It is important that the application is received before 30 June 2021 even if the status is awarded after that date. There are dedicated information and support services for applicants available; for any questions, get in touch with them through the website above or on 0300 123 7379.
Tuesday 1 June 2021
16:14
Remote orthodontics: We need regulation not warnings
In a recent blog, BDA Chair Eddie Crouch explained why the new guidelines on remote orthodontics are no substitute for meaningful regulation when it comes to protecting patients.
"Given these aligners can lead to fundamental changes to a patient's mouth... we've not let up on the need to see proper protections in place."
14:04
Dental Education Hub: Your feedback wanted
The Dental Education Hub is looking to redesign its website and would like user feedback and testing from Foundation Dentists and Dental Core Trainees.
There will be two rounds of user feedback/testing sessions. The sessions, which run from 8-11 June, are on a one-to-one basis and will each run for 60 minutes.
Contact
parah.orakpo@hee.nhs.uk for more information about the project
13:11
Wales: NHS COVID-19 bonus payment
The Welsh Government has published information on
who is eligible for the COVID-19 bonus payment
and how this will be made.
This follows the announcement from the Government in March that, as a thank you, they would be giving NHS and social care staff a one off bonus of £735, or allowing for basic rate of tax and national insurance contributions, around £500.
09:40
LDCs call on government to tackle dental crisis
Local dental committees (LDCs) are warning that
the survival of NHS dentistry is at risk.
Their second online annual conference takes place on Saturday 12 June, and dentists want to know how the government and respective NHS bodies are going to tackle the recruitment and retention crisis. A damning report from Healthwatch England has revealed that some dental patients within the NHS are being put on a three-year waiting list.
