29th April Covid-19 Update

Please follow this link to access today’s GG&C Chief of Dentistry Update. Remember, all the updates and official advice specific to Glasgow are available on the GG&C NHS website. The most relevant news affecting GG&C GDPs today is:

1. UPDATED REFERRAL FORM FOR SPECIAL CARE HUBS
   • We were notified in yesterday’s Chief of Dentistry update that we are to start using a new referral form for Special Care Hubs and GDH.
   • The updated referral form asks for more specific information to help streamline the process
   • The date and time of referral are now asked for in order to allow the OHD to audit the patient ‘referral to treatment times’
   • The form now also asks about weight and BMI in order to ensure that the patient is not beyond the limit of the dental chairs at the hubs. This will allow alternative arrangements to be made.
   • The protocol for referring patients has not changed and all referrals into the special care hubs should be carried out by email unless there are extreme circumstances (as per the protocol).
2. RECOVERY PLAN
   • Todays Chief of Dentistry Update indicates that consultation is underway for a ‘recovery plan’
   • For GDPs the relevant point in the letter was “we hope that GDS colleagues can be utilised to take on the lion’s share of the urgent care within the PDS Hubs and possibly as capacity demands in the future in some GDS sites again, releasing PDS and HDS staff”
   • The LDC are communicating regularly with the OHD and will seek to be consulted on any plans that are being made.
3. CPD ALLOWANCE
   • It has come to light that PSD have been instructed not to authorise payment of any CPD Allowance claims for courses (online or otherwise) undertaken after 23rd March 2020, whether they were approved or not.
   • No warning was given and we are not aware of any ‘official’ notifications to this effect but we have had it confirmed.
   • There is no logical explanation for this as GDPs claims for CPDA are capped each year, which already prevents abuse of the system. The LDC are pursuing this matter.
   • The GDC have stated that “We would like to be clear that nobody will be removed from the register due to a lack of access to CPD. In general, any set-back related to the pandemic will be considered sympathetically if 2020 CPD requirements cannot be met.”
4. DENTAL PRACTICES TO MAINTAIN TRIAGE PROTOCOL ON MONDAY 4th MAY AND FRIDAY 8th MAY DURING WORKING HOURS
   • NHS 24 will not be in a position to cover calls for registered dental patients on MONDAY 4th May as was previously arranged for GG&C (NHS 24 would normally accept calls from registered dental patients on evenings/weekends/public holidays when practices are closed).
   • GGCEDS will still be running a service to see genuine emergencies (as per the triage protocol).
   • GG&C OHD will shortly be forwarding a list of pharmacies that will be open on the relevant days.
   • Friday 8th May was not originally planned to be covered in GG&C and therefore this is to be considered a normal Friday, with dental practices referring to the Special Care Hubs in the normal way.
   • The weekend service provision is unaffected.

GG&C Chief of Dentistry Update 29th April
GG&C Chief of Dentistry Update 28th April
Updated Referral Form
Triage and Referral Protocol