Friday 18 March 2022
15:53
BDA Good Practice: our quality assurance scheme
Do you own or work for a dental practice operating in the United Kingdom and want to learn more about BDA Good Practice?
Our
quality assurance scheme allows its members to communicate to patients an ongoing commitment to working to standards of good practice on professional and legal responsibilities. Members have access to advice and
practice resources, exclusive courses to help grow a confident team, marketing materials to promote your practice, templates to help you engage with your patient base and to obtain positive reviews and much more.
Subscribe to our mailing list, to learn more about the scheme or contact
goodpractice@bda.org and someone from the team will get in touch.
10:08
BDA statement on Ukraine
We have joined other organisations in the health sector in the UK and around the globe to express its deep concern about the war in Ukraine and the huge humanitarian crisis that has resulted since the Russian invasion of the country.
We offer free membership torefugee and asylum-seeker dentists.
We invite any Ukrainian dentists who have fled the war to get in touch for further information about dentistry in the UK and the free membership scheme.
For any members wishing to make any contributions to the relief efforts, donations can be made to:
Disaster Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
For members who have enquired about how they can help Ukrainian refugees, please see government information on the
Ukraine Family Scheme and the
Homes for Ukraine scheme.
09:16
Northern Ireland: Add your voice to help reform and rebuild dentistry
Last week, we launched our
manifesto for Rebuilding and Reforming Dentistry which has generated a number of party press releases committing to take our issues forward in the next mandate.
However, following a tough two years in dentistry we were deeply disappointed by the
announcement of the new Rebuilding Support Scheme, which represents a downgraded offer from the 35% increase that was previously put forward.
Our manifesto makes clear that the work of dental professionals must be valued, and investment must be made in delivering better oral healthcare for all. Please join us, and make your voice heard by finding your
MLAs email addresses and sending a copy of our manifesto to them. Together we are stronger.
Thursday 17 March 2022
15:31
England: New National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness
Practices will be aware of the new National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness and many may have been contacted by companies offering a service to become compliant with these rules.
The guidance is over-complicated and the CQC says that it already inspects on these issues, so we think this is an unnecessary additional layer.
The complex system requires actually doing the cleaning (which the majority of practices do already), auditing to ensure that the cleaning is done and then reporting that result internally. This requirement only serves to place additional administrative obligations on NHS practices, when they have to deal with a huge number of other burdens.
Our advice team has looked at the publication and has tried to decipher what it means in practise and, as a result, we are developing an expanded cleaning schedule to include any additional points not in the original BDA offering and have devised an audit spreadsheet. Once complete, it will be available to Expert members.
15:14
Wales: New CDO appointed
Andrew Dickenson has been appointed as the
new Chief Dental Officer for Wales and will be taking up his new post with the Welsh Government on 1 April 2022.
Andrew comes from Health Education England where he has been working as Regional Postgraduate Dean for Midlands and East of England as an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon. He is also Vice Chair of COPDEND.
13:13
Wales: Weighing the risk of the GDS contract offer
This week we have been
navigating the GDS contract options offered by Welsh Government. These changes would mean that GDS Practices with an NHS contract can either opt for the new volumetrics or revert to the UDA-only option for 2022-23. To understand your views on this offer, we issued a rapid survey which over 250 dentists responded to.
We thank Welsh dentists for taking the time to share their concerns with us, the results have revealed widespread concerns about the offer. It is clear from your responses that NHS dentistry is looking much less attractive to the dental team. Details of the offer remain unclear, and some feel that reform is being pushed through. We will keep you updated with new developments as we support the negotiation process on your behalf.
08:21
Advice: Moving to private practice
We have launched a new
private practice advice page to support members who are weighing up a move into, or an expansion of their, private practice.
Bringing all this advice together for the first time, this page will prove a useful resource to anyone in or considering private practice, whether in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
Included is an outline of the possible financial implications of stepping away from NHS/HS dentistry, and advice on business structures, practice diversification, complaints management and pensions.
Wednesday 16 March 2022
14:52
Annual Conference of Local Dental Committees 2022
After two years, the Annual Conference of LDC's is back in-person. It returns on
10 June 2022 at the International Convention Centre, Newport, Wales.
With the debate of motions, elections of members and the celebration of unsung heroes, the conference has something for everyone. There is also a black-tie dinner held the night before, offering a fantastic opportunity to network with LDC officers and GDPC members.
Register to secure your place now and don't miss out.
12:17
Update to dental guidance on anticoagulants
An updated edition of
Management of Dental Patients Taking Anticoagulants or Antiplatelet Drugs has been published by the Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP).
Intended for use throughout the UK, this guidance aims to provide clear and practical advice for the dental team, including on assessment of bleeding risk and decision making for treatment planning. It provides specific recommendations for the treatment of patients taking particular medications and also considers the potential environmental impact of the clinical advice, giving suggestions to support oral health sustainably.
In addition to the full guidance, resources include a quick reference guide, guidance implementation summary, introductory video and a range of patient leaflets and recording sheets for clinicians.
09:48
British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show 2022
The British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show
(BDCDS) returns on
13 - 14 May 2022 at NEC, Birmingham.
With 200+ world-class speakers, 400+ industry leading exhibitors, and 250 hours of enhanced CPD, there's something for the whole dental team.
Secure a free pass for yourself and your colleagues now.
Tuesday 15 March 2022
13:05
Northern Ireland: Rebuilding Support Scheme FAQs
The Department of Health has published an
FAQs guide relating to the newly announced Rebuilding Support Scheme that will replace the Financial Support Scheme from 8 April.
We believe the support available under the Rebuilding Support Scheme is inadequate, and as such we have not endorsed these proposals.
09:12
Scotland: Raising concerns about revised funding arrangements for dental practices
We have
written to the Scottish Government to reiterate our misgivings about the interim financial arrangements for dental practices that will replace the emergency Covid support payments next month.
While we acknowledge the introduction of a "multiplier" that will be applied to all NHS treatment fees, we remain strongly opposed to any prospect of a return to the pre-Covid high-volume, low-value payment system. We also have significant concerns that the planned 3-month review of the multiplier will not allow practices to plan their businesses, and are disappointed that the Scottish Government did not take this opportunity to address the absurdly low fees for specific treatments including extractions and denture repairs.
We have also written to the Scottish Government separately with examples from practices of the effect of the latest surge in Covid cases on staff shortages and patient cancellations. In Scotland,
1 in 18 people have Coronavirus, the highest level recorded during the pandemic, and we have urged the Government to delay its plans to end Covid support payments on 1 April and reconsider once Covid numbers are under control.
Monday 14 March 2022
13:52
Wales: Last chance to share your views on new NHS contracts
As you may know, the Welsh Government have put forward their offer for a variation to the NHS General Dental Contract. These changes would mean that GDS Practices with an NHS contract can either opt for the new volumetrics, or revert to the UDA-only option for 2022-23.
We worked around the clock to negotiate terms with the Welsh Government but their consultation period was truncated. However, Welsh General Dental Practice Committee members continue to consult with their constituents and want to hear from all GDS dentists working in Wales, also dentists in training and students. We have created a rapid survey to understand your views on this offer.
The survey is anonymous and takes 5 minutes to complete. All responses must be submitted by 17:00 today. Please complete the survey and share the survey link with your colleagues. You do not need to be a member to take part.
12:27
Library: 50 hours of verifiable CPD with our eBook quizzes
Members can earn up to 50 hours of CPD through our
eBooks CPD quizzes.
Our collection of eBooks cover a broad range of dental subjects, encouraging wider thinking and keeping knowledge current. Popular titles include, Cawson's Essentials of oral pathology and oral medicine, Paediatric dentistry, Pickard's Guide to minimally invasive operative dentistry, Infection control in primary dental care and more.
Five new titles have recently been added to the collection:
- Fixed orthodontic appliances: a practical guide [BDJ Clinician's Guide]
- Periodontology (4th edition) [BDJ Clinician's Guide]
- Textbook of oral cancer - prevention, diagnosis and management
- Risk assessment in oral health - a concise guide for clinical application
- Practical procedures in the management of tooth wear.
Each title is provided with 20 multiple choice questions worth 2 hours CPD, allowing you to earn up to 50 hours CPD on completion.
