7th April Covid-19 Update

Included below is the most recent GG&C Chief of Dentistry Update. The most relevant information is summarised below:

1. DENTAL PRACTICES TO MAINTAIN TRIAGE PROTOCOL ON GOOD FRIDAY AND EASTER MONDAY DURING WORKING HOURS
   • NHS 24 will not be in a position to cover calls for registered dental patients on Friday 10th or Monday 13th April. (NHS 24 would normally accept calls from registered dental patients on evenings/weekends/public holidays when practices are closed).
   • The PDS Special Care Hub and the GGCEDS provision will still be running a service to see genuine emergencies (as per the triage protocol).
   • The Chief of Dentistry has asked dental practices to triage patients and maintain the Advice, Analgesia, Antimicrobials approach, referring only where absolutely necessary.
   • The weekend service provision is unaffected.
   • These are extraordinary times and the LDC would encourage GDPs to support our colleagues in NHS 24 by maintaining this service for these two days. We are all in this together. Those practices who genuinely cannot arrange triage cover should consider enacting their buddy practice arrangements.
2. Redeployment
   • The Chief of Dentistry reports that those who volunteered via the Web Form may now be contacted to assist at Community Assessment Centres (CACs) as ‘senior clinical decision makers’.
   • This is an additional route by which GDPs and their teams can support our colleagues in the wider NHS.
   • More GDP & DCP volunteers are being contacted every day for PDS and NHS 24 support.
3. Indemnity
   • The Chief of Dentistry references a letter sent to all Boards by the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport which sets out the indemnity arrangements for workers who are redeployed to wider NHS services.
   • Independent Contractors (GDPs) should maintain their own indemnity and keep their providers informed of their activity in the usual way.
   • Where the GDPs own indemnity does not apply, the NHS CNORIS provision will cover them in any additional ‘engagements related to the coronavirus’.
4. PPE
   • The lab technicians at GDH have developed a process to manufacture full face visors to assist in the stocking of essential PPE
   • The LDC have written to the Chief of Dentistry expressing concern over the PPE provision at the PDS Hubs. We have been advised to follow national guidance on AGPs. However, whilst we await clarification on what specific dental procedures are considered AGPs,  it appears we will be able to use FFP3 masks for extractions in the hubs.
5. Private/Mixed Practitioners
   • The LDC have been made aware of the plight of wholly private practitioners in Scotland. A consortium of private practitioners have written to the CDO, the BDA and the SDPC detailing the lack of financial support that is applicable to private practice.
   • This will also affect GDPs who have mixed practices that rely heavily on private income.
   • The LDC fully supports their efforts as private/independent dentists care for a significant proportion of the the population, freeing up NHS provision for those who need it most.
   • Private/independent work also hugely subsidises the NHS provision in mixed practices where funding has not been keeping up with the huge increases in practice expenses in recent years.
   • If you would like to get in touch with the group to see what they are doing please contact us for details at ggc.ldc@gmail.com

GG&C Chief of Dentistry Update 7th AprilCovid 19 Indemnity Arrangements (Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport)