Scottish Dental Practice Committee

Subject to the authority of our board, the Scottish Dental Practice Committee represents all non-salaried general dental practitioners practising in the NHS or privately, including orthodontists and assistants, working in Scotland.

What does Scottish Dental Practice Committee (SDPC) do?

SDPC’s role is to negotiate with NHS Boards and the Scottish Government Directorate for Population Health and other appropriate bodies, on matters relating to the delivery and remuneration of dental services provided by non-salaried general dental practitioners, including orthodontists and assistants, working in Scotland and to liaise with the General Dental Practice Committee and Scottish Council.

Policy Document

SDPC Policy Document Revised Feb 2020

SDPC agendas and reports

Agendas and meeting reports for the Scottish Dental Practice Committee.

SDPC September 2021 Agenda

SDPC September 2021 Report

Members updates

SDPC correspondence with Scottish Government Ministers and CDO

2021

Letter from Cabinet Secretary dated 21 October – emergency funding support to be withdrawn by 1 April 2022.

Letter from CDO dated 10 September – Clarification on requirements of eligible equipment for the improvement allowance for electric speed adjusting hand pieces

Letter to Cabinet Secretary dated 3 September – concerns regarding launch of free NHS dental care for 18-25 year olds on 24 August

Letter from Cabinet Secretary dated 20 August – implementation of 100-day commitment to remove NHS dental charges for young people

Letter from CDO dated 13 August – DDRB recommendation

Letter from CDO dated 8 July – review of IPC guidance

Letter from CDO dated 29 June – activity measurements linked to Covid financial support suspended for NHS dental practices

Letter from CDO dated 21 June – SAPG-D recommendations on antibiotic prescribing

Letter to Cabinet Secretary dated 17 June - priority issues facing the dental profession

Letter from Cabinet Secretary dated 15 June – legislative instrument for free NHS dental care for young people

Letter from CDO dated 9 June – ventilation funding confirmed for NHS dental practices

Letter to Minister dated 3 June – joint letter from Scottish craft committee Chairs to highlight concerns about a range of issues, many of which have been exacerbated by the pandemic.

Letter to CDO dated 17 May - update on financial support, ventilation and other issues.

Letter from CDO dated 13 April - update on ventilation survey, LFD testing and the COVID-19 Surveillance Programme

Letter from CDO dated 31 March - ventilation survey for NHS practices

Letter from CDO dated 23 March - Scottish Government to address maternity pay shortfall

Letter from Minister dated 16 March - new intermediate funding arrangements for NHS dentistry outlined

Letter to Minister dated 10 March with reply from CDO dated 14 April - introduction to committee chairs and current issues in dentistry

Letter to Cabinet Secretary dated 16 February with reply from CDO dated 24 February - support for UK, EU, international and final year Aberdeen students

Letter to Cabinet Secretary dated 2 February with reply dated 15 February - request for support for dental students who are required to take additional periods of study

Letter to Cabinet Secretary dated 19 January with reply dated 20 January - call to reduce bureaucracy for COVID vaccination training

Reply from Cabinet Secretary dated 13 January - request for capital funding for ventilation

Letter from CDO and National Clinical Director dated 8 January - advice for wholly private practices following latest lockdown

Letter from CDO dated 5 January - activity measurement delayed following latest lockdown

2020

Letter to Cabinet Secretary 27 November - request for capital funding for ventilation

Letter from CDO dated 30 September – reintroduction of the SDR

Letter to CDO dated 15 July – phased return to dentistry

PSD FAQ 2020 COVID-19

Dental Financial Support Payment – Questions & Answers

Pay Uplift for Dentists in Scotland

The Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration (DDRB) published its 49th report on 22 July. The Review Body recommended a 3% pay uplift for various categories of dentists in Scotland, including:

SAS dentists
Dentists in training
Independent contractor GDPs
Associate and salaried GDPs including Public Dental Service practitioners

Following confirmation from SG that they had accepted the DDRB's recommendation of 3% (backdated to April 2021), we issued a press release calling on SG to confirm that the pay award for GDPs will be applied to practitioners' overall remuneration package to avoid front line staff potentially being left out of pocket and practices struggling to invest to improve care. SG have stated they will provide details of how the GDP package will operate in due course.

Scottish Government PCAs

2021

Memorandum to PDA(D)(2021)7 provides details of changes to SDR regarding the 2021/2022 pay award for GDPs

Memorandum to PDA(D)(2021)6 provides details of the improvement allowance for electric speed adjusting (red band) handpieces

Memorandum to PDA(D)(2021)5 provides details of changes to Determination X of the SDR - contractors in a surrogacy arrangement

Memorandum to PDA(D)(2021)4 provides details of the 100-day commitment – removal of NHS dental charges for young people

Memorandum to PCA(D)(2021)3 details of ventilation funding for NHS practices

Memorandum to PCA(D)(2021)02 advises changes to the calculation of maternity, paternity and adoptive leave payments, and to long-term sickness payments

Memorandum to PDA(D)(2021)01 provides guidance to GDP’s on how to receive the £500 one-off payment for helping Scotland cope with the pandemic

2020

Memorandum to PDA(D)(2020)15 - Advises low level concerns, that do not meet the threshold for GDC fitness to practice, will now be handled locally by Health Boards and practices

Memorandum to PDC(D)(2020)14 - Advises of the opportunity to involve NHS dental contractors in the COVID-19 vaccination programme

Memorandum to PDA(D)(2020)13 -Information about remobilisation of NHS Dental Services: Phase 4 including information about the 2020/21 pay award

Memorandum to PDA(D)(2020)12 - Information about the arrangements and fees for dentists and dental bodies corporate participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination programme for 2020/21

Memorandum to PDA(D)(2020)11 - Information about the inclusion of aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) during COVID-19.

Memorandum to PDC(D)(2020)10 provides information on Phase 3 - Advises of the remobilisation of NHS dental services

Memorandum to PCA(D)(2020)9 - Information on Phase 1; the expansion of urgent dental care centres; and, Phase 2; the standing up of dental practices initially to see urgent patients for non-aerosol generating procedure (AGP) care. Also attached is SDR Determination - Amendment 144

Memorandum to PCA(D)(2020)8 - Information on financial support measures for mixed practices.

Memorandum to PCA(D)(2020)7 - Revised financial support measures for independent dental contractors and dental bodies corporates

Memorandum to PCA(D)(2020)6 - Information and guidance to independent contractors, (dentists and dental bodies corporate) providing NHS General Dental Services (GDS) on the steps to take during the COVID-19 outbreak

SDPC Working Groups

More information to be added following the SDPC meeting on 15 September 2021

SDPC Representatives

Grampian, Highland, Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland

Morven Gordon-Duff, Guest / Observer (non voting member)
Harriet Liddicott, Guest / Observer (non voting member)

Tayside, Fife and Forth Valley

Jeffrey Ellis, Coupar Angus (Executive Sub-committee)
Amy Harper, Guest / Observer (non voting member)

Lothian and Borders

Mark McCutcheon, Edinburgh
John Davidson, Edinburgh

Lanarkshire, Ayrshire & Arran, Dumfries & Galloway

Donald Morrison, Kilmarnock (Executive Sub-committee)
Vacant seat

Greater Glasgow and Clyde

David McColl, Glasgow (Chair) (Executive Sub-committee)
Kenneth McDonald, Glasgow (Executive Sub-committee)
Josephine Weir, Gourock (Executive Sub-committee)

BDA Branch Representatives

North: Vacant seat
West - Jacqueline Frederick
East - Rachel Reid

Representatives of the Scottish Conference of Local Dental Committees

Lindsay Milton - Chair of LDC Conference
Christina Ferry - Chair Elect of Conference
Clare Murphy - Conference Representative to SDPC (Executive Sub-committee)

Early Career Dentist Representative

Vacant seat

Associate Dentist Representative

Vacant seat

Principal Executive Committee Members

Eddie Crouch, Chair of the PEC
Peter Crooks, Deputy Chair of the PEC

Observer Status - Scottish Orthodontic Specialist Group

Robert Irvine

Observer Status - BMA Scottish General Practice Committee Representative

Susannah Mitchell

Meeting dates 2022

Wednesday 9 February

Wednesday 11 May

Wednesday 14 September

All meetings are currently held by videoconference at 13:30hrs.

SDPC Constitution

SDPC Constitution Revision August 2021

BDA Scotland Fees Guide 2020-21

BDA Scotland Fees Guide 2020-21 reflects the 2020/21 pay award

The document is produced as a service to BDA members. Although ever effort is made to ensure its accuracy, the BDA will not accept responsibility for any loss or damages that might result for any inaccuracies found within the guide.

Get in touch

For more information, please contact Kirsten Phillips kirsten.phillips@bda.org.