Kenny's Update 14th February 2021

February 14th Lincolnshire LDC Update Number 45

Happy Valentine’s Day everybody! I do hope romance is alive amongst you, because there is precious little of it in today’s update…………… At least it will be short.

Thank you for forwarding your figures for dental team members who have been vaccinated. It is really encouraging to see the uptake. In Lincolnshire, over 90% of dental team members have been immunised which is a brilliant response. Locally, the CCG and NHSE have been very pro-active and supportive in prioritising dental staff and hopefully we all now feel a bit safer and more protected. We cannot be complacent however and we are aware of a local case where a dental team member has become infected with Covid 4 weeks after their vaccination. Our levels of PPE and infection control procedures must remain the same with the updated SOP, practice policies and procedures followed.

Vaccination and the dental team………….What happens if a team member refuses?

From the figures we have, we estimate that to date almost 100% of dental team members in Lincolnshire have been offered the vaccine. Approximately 9-10 % but did not take the offer up. We suggest that practices discuss the vaccination process with all members of the dental team and those with concerns should be counselled in a sensitive manner. It is important that an individual’s wishes are respected. The University of Bristol has produced a helpful Communications Handbook on this. (Ctrl and Click to follow the link)

Pregnant members of the dental team and those on maternity leave / nursing mothers are advised to speak to their doctor before receiving the vaccine. Similarly, if an individual has had a severe allergic reaction in the past and carries an Epipen or similar, then they should also seek medical advice before considering a vaccination. We believe that in the updated guidance, this is no longer a contra indication for the vaccine however.

If after a discussion, a member of the dental team refuses to have the vaccine, the practice has to accept the decision of the individual.

Sustainability of the vaccination programme ……………..A question yet to be answered?

Everyone who has been immunised may well have noticed the number of doctors, nurses and other health care workers delivering the vaccine. Assuming there is no availability issues, second vaccinations for priority one and two groups will be given at the end of this month and next, along with first vaccinations for the over 60’s and possibly the over 50’s. This ongoing programme, which will last well into 2021 is taking professionals away from their normal duties in primary care and potentially this could have a significant effect on health care. It is not sustainable in the long term.

With this in mind, other groups such as dental teams, either current or those part time or recently retired, are being considered to help provide the vaccination service. This is only at preliminary discussion stage just now and when more details are known I will let you know.

If you think this is something you might be interested in or have expressed a wish to be involved but haven’t been contacted, please let Sharon know at lincsldc@gmail.com

Q 4 and delivery of NHS activity

Our Local Area Team have been taking advice from NHSE & I Central Team and the BSA (NHS Dental Services) to fully understand the guidance and the flexibilities available. It is a complex scheme and we are becoming aware of more and more scenarios. Further clarity is required on the way in which activity will be treated and this is particularly true with respect to carry forwards. We await further clarification and hope to update you shortly.

An example of one of the questions recently asked is……………..if in Q4 a practice gets 53% of activity ie overachieves by 8% which is the equivalent of 2% in each quarter of 2020/21, will they be able to carry forward 2% into year 21/22 ( 2% being the maximum you are allowed to carry forward per year) ?

There have been many other questions asked about activity and abatement and hopefully as things become clearer we will let you know definitive answers. The indications suggest that most practices seem to be on schedule to achieve the minimum 36% of activity

LDC open Meeting on Tuesday 23rd February at 7 pm

This will be an open meeting on Microsoft Teams and available to all members of the dental team. Sharon will send out invitations this coming week. This will be the first open meeting with Jason as Deputy CDO and Shawn as GDPC Chair. You will be able to hear up to date views from the BDA and Office of the CDO and what may awaits us in the new financial year starting in April. You will have an opportunity to ask questions on the night as the meeting will be very much interactive.

And finally ………..

The LDC is aware of the current lack of an Orthodontic service in the County and in the Lincoln area in particular. The situation both in Primary and Secondary Care is a concern and the LDC is aware of the increasing number of complaints being received. This topic will be discussed in forthcoming updates when more information is known.

Stay safe and healthy

Best wishes

Kenny Hume Chair Lincolnshire LDC