5th October GG&C LDC Update

04 October 2020

FGDP Guidance; Booking AGPs at UDCCs; Flu Vaccines

  1. FGDP GUIDCANCE
    • By now most of you will be aware that SDCEP unveiled ‘Mitigation of Aerosol Generating Procedures – a Rapid Review‘ on 25th September. Although this did not represent guidance, it did give some direction as to where we are heading.
    • More recently, on Friday 2nd October, the FGDP updated their guidance ‘Implications of COVID-19 for the safe management of general dental practice – a practical guide‘ to reflect the recommendations made in the SDCEP document.
    • The Chief Dental Officer is yet to formally acknowledge the guidance. We are seeking confirmation that NHS practices in Scotland can now adapt their fallow time in accordance with the new guidance.
    • The main points to take away are:
      • Risk assessments of the patient and procedure will allow you to categorise the risk of infective aerosol transmission
        • There is a detailed list of what are considered Aerosol Generating Exposures (AGEs) in the FGDP guidance
        • Using 3in1, adjusting dentures, implant surgery and prophylactic polishing are all discussed in terms of use and mitigation
      • For high risk procedures:
        • Enhanced PPE (e.g. FFP3, surgical gowns) should be worn
        • External Ventilation is necessary
        • Fallow time can be adjusted based on mitigating factors (see flowchart in guidance)
  2. UDCCs
    • Friday’s Chief of Dentistry update  describes the new process for referring patients in to UDCC’s for urgent AGPs.
    • Your practice should have now received details in the generic email inbox including guidance and a booking form.
    • The prescribing dentist must either attend the appointment and provide the treatment themselves or nominate a colleague to undertake the procedure on their behalf, bringing a suitably trained dental nurse with them.
  3. REFERRING IN DIFFICULT EXTRACTIONS / ORAL SURGERY
    • Please refer secondary care (dental hospital) cases via SCI Gateway using the pre-covid pathway.
    • Please consider referring to willing colleagues in primary care (other GDPs or referral practices) who may have the experience and skill to take on these cases where waiting lists for secondary care are significant.
  4. FLU VACCINE PROGRAMME
    • Thank you to all those who responded to the request to form a bank of dentists willing to assist in the flu vaccine delivery programme, we  received over 300 responses in the last few days.
    • Please be aware that the bank shifts are automatically put to medical nursing staff in the first instance. We will only be engaged if there is a shortfall.
    • Should there be a shortfall in coverage, a list of available sessions will be made available through your local HSCP coordinator and LDC rep.
    • There will only ever likely be a handful of shifts available in any given week so the opportunity to take part will be limited.
  5. NEW ASSOCIATES
    • GG&C LDC understands the difficult position you find yourselves in. Please do contact us if you wish to discuss any problems you are having. We are looking to arrange a Q&A for new associates in the coming weeks, let us know who you’d like to hear from.
    • Every dentist with a list number in GG&C can and should have an active LDC levy mandate.
    • You can complete a mandate here. The process is entirely online and takes no more than a minute.
    • Details of what we do can be found on our website.
    • It is important to note that if you have moved practice or changed list number your mandate is no longer active and you should sign a new one with each change.