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Welsh NHS dental contract vignettes explained

Guidance on the Welsh Government’s vignettes, published to accompany contract reform in Wales. We have produced this advice based on the 1 April version of the vignettes and will update this when the final version is released.

Overview

The Welsh Government emailed vignettes to contractors which accompanied the changes to the General Dental Services (GDS) contract in Wales. If you have not received this document, please contact the BDA advice team. These Vignettes are best understood as guidance, and they consist of short, practical scenarios designed to demonstrate how the Welsh Government intend the new system to work in NHS dental practices.

The vignettes illustrate how to claim using the new care pathways in a variety of hypothetical clinical scenarios. The primary purpose is explanatory and translates policy into practice. In this advice we have condensed the vignettes into short tables to facilitate use as a quick reference guide. This advice should be read in conjunction with your copy of the full vignettes document.

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Contract reform in Wales

The Welsh Government’s proposed model GDS contract will have real implications for every dentist and every patient in Wales. We support reform in principle, but the current proposal risk worsening access, morale, and outcomes. We will continue to provide information and guidance to members as and when more information is provided from Welsh Government.
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