16th June LDC Update

16 June 2020

CDO Letter; Emergency SDR; Extirpating Molars; NES Returning to Practice FAQs

  1. CDO LETTER – PCA(D)(2020)9
    • On 15th June the CDO sent out a PCA to accompany an emergency SDR.
    • The expectation is that the First Minister will move us into Phase 2 of the SG Routemap on Thursday 18th June.
    • This means that practices will be able to start opening to see their own nonAGP urgent dental care patients soon after this date.
    • PPE has been made available for each practice to see 10 patients a day for nonAGP urgent care in phase 2.
    • Paragraph 15 of the letter makes it clear that no AGPs should be performed in practice during Phase 2, these should be referred to UDCCs.
  2. EMERGENCY SDR
    • Dentists will continue to receive monthly Covid Sustainability payments (on top of Cons/Caps and Allowances) during phase 2.
    • There will be no charge to the patient for any NHS urgent care received during phase 2.
    • Dentists will have to claim treatment items under the emergency SDR codes in order to record activity but this will not generate any payments for the Dentist or any charge to the patient.
    • Sections I to XI of the SDR contain the nonAGP treatment codes for general practice REGISTERED PATIENTS (these are the treatments we are expected to provide in practice in Phase 2)
    • Section XII(a) contains the occasional nonAGP treatment codes for UNREGISTERED PATIENTS in general practice or any patients in a UDCC (we are encouraged to see unregistered patients if we can but should use the ‘occasional’ codes)
    • Section XII(b) contains the occasional AGP treatment codes for UDCCs only. (These codes indicate what we should expect to be provided at UDCC sites following triage and referral)
    • Section XV provides codes for triaging activity (we are expected to submit codes for this activity)
    • Practice Management Software (PMS) providers have been given the relevant information to update practice systems with the new treatment codes and zero fees.
    • Practices should enter COVID-19 in the signature box of GP17(PR) forms (and on the PMS equivalent) on behalf of the patient (to minimise pen and paper handling by patients).
    • A small range of denture and orthodontic repair codes are available however any lab fees will be absorbed by the dentist/practice.
      • The LDC finds this particularly unfair and we are making representations through SDPC for a lab fee supplement to be provided.
      • We also find the lack of clarity on ‘immediate’ dentures’ or ‘additions’ (with or without a lab fee supplement) a glaring omission. A patient who lost an anterior tooth appears to have no option for a short term replacement under the SDR as provided.
  3. MOLAR EXTIRPATIONS AT UDCCs
  4. SDCEP UPDATE
    1. The SDCEP returning to work guidance has been slightly updated to reflect the new phasing of the CDOs plan (to bring in line with Scottish Government phasing).
    2. There are some other small tweaks to the guidance detailed on the website.
  5. NES RETURNING TO PRACTICE FAQs
    • Following a number of webinars on the subject, NHS Education Scotland have compiled a list of the questions and answers that were provided as these were found to be extremely useful.
    • These FAQs can be found here.
  6. LDC MANDATES
    • Every dentist with a list number in GG&C can and should have an active LDC levy mandate.
    • 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.
    • If you are not sure if you are supporting the LDC then please email the LDC and ask. Alternatively, you can just complete another mandate (duplications are picked up at our end and there will be no ‘doubling up’ of levies). The process is entirely online and takes no more than a minute.