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August 2nd 2022 Lincolnshire LDC Update Number 67
Dear all …………. I am aware that many of you may be on holiday or about to go. I hope your travel arrangements have not been/ will not be affected and you are able to enjoy a good rest and a chance to relax with your families. To those who have been on holiday, summer in Lincolnshire has not yet finished!
Dental Contract Changes
Most of you will have seen these changes and whilst they are not as dramatic as many had hoped for, they do represent the first change in the Dental Contract since the UDA came into existence in 2006. These are the first steps in what we hope will be significant progress to contract reform although as many of you may have noticed, there was no additional funding. NHS Dentistry stands very much at a tipping point. With the cost-of-living crisis upon us, there are clear risks in dental practices leaving the Health Service. Not all our patients can afford private treatment and for dentists, private practice, for various reasons, is perhaps not for them. However, last week, the Government’s Health & and Social Care Committee judged the current contract not fit for purpose and commented that urgent reform is needed to boost recruitment and retention in NHS Dental Services. A very similar recommendation was given in 2008, no less. Practitioners will make their own decisions, but let’s hope a health service remains to meet the needs of our population and one which dentists find attractive to work in.
There is a view that the change which will have most impact is the modification of the recall interval. By having recalls every year (something which is difficult not to justify) and only seeing high risk patients more frequently, it is hoped this will free up surgery space to see additional patients and thereby increasing access.
Peer Review
Covid meant that dentists often felt isolated and unable to reach out to their peers in a way they had done previously. The LDC, led by Vice-Chairs, Andy Fenn and Sandy Gemmell are aiming to re – start the Peer Review initiative. It will be open to all members of the dental team, and not limited to practices with NHS contracts. Private practices are welcome. More details will follow but the plan is to start in the Autumn.
Dentists in Trouble
If you have a concern, please don’t bottle it up. Talk to someone, whether this is a partner, a friend or colleague or if this is not appropriate than email lincsldc@gmail.com. The LDC is here to help and if we don’t have the answers to hand, we can certainly point you in the right direction.
A Local Safeguarding Issue
To all Practice Managers ……………….. Please could we highlight the following potential training reminder for staff who receive incoming calls into the practice:
When a caller telephones the practice, it is recommended that you confirm their identity to make sure that you have the correct patient; please ensure that the caller is asked to confirm their date of birth, address, or telephone number and not the other way around. For example, please avoid saying ‘Can I confirm that your address is 45 West Street?’
We have had a recent domestic abuse case where a victim and young child had moved house to escape an abusive situation, and when the victim contacted the practice, she had her address read back to her in confirmation. She was then concerned that the perpetrator could potentially telephone the practice (regarding his child, whom he retained parental responsibility for) and be given the address unknowingly.
NHS England: Year-end reconciliation letters
NHS Business Services Authority (BSA) has uploaded year-end reconciliation letters onto Compass, and they are available to view now. If you have any questions regarding your year-end reconciliation, NHS BSA advise you to contact them at nhsbsa.dentalcases@nhs.net. On behalf of NHS England and Improvement, NHS BSA have also shared additional information covering reconciliation arrangements for 2022/23 for dental providers and commissioners in England. This should help address some questions they’ve received from practices.
Mandatory training on learning disabilities and autism
This may have slipped under the radar.
All health and social care providers registered with the CQC must ensure that their staff receive training on learning disabilities and autism. This new legal requirement was introduced by the Health and Care Act 2022 from 1 July. Following the introduction of this requirement, the CQC will be looking to see whether providers have provided learning disability and autism training and assess the competencies of their staff following the training.
The publication of the Code of Practice may take at least 12 months, but the CQC will provide statutory guidance while the Code of Practice is being developed.
The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training is based on the Core Capabilities Frameworks for Supporting People with a Learning Disability and for Supporting Autistic People. It has also been co-designed by autistic people, people with a learning disability, family carers and subject matter experts.
And Finally, ………………. I have said many times we can all suffer from information overload, and as such I try to be careful not to repeat what you may have already received from NHSE or other organisations. The new monthly LDN Newsletter covers a wide range of topics, is very informative and an excellent read.
We send out over 190 emails when each update goes out, and it is important we have an idea how many of you regularly read our updates. Would you therefore complete the very short questionnaire below? Thank you
Best wishes
Kenny Hume Lincolnshire LDC Chair
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