11th October 2021 GG&C LDC Update

10 October 2021


  1. COP 26
    • Glasgow SEC will be hosting the UN Climate Change Conference 2021 (Conference of Parties 26) between 31st October and 12th November.
    • Delegations from over 200 countries will be in attendance, including 120 heads of state and the Queen. Various climate activists such as David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg will also be in attendance. Some 25,000 visitors are expected in the city.
    • There will be extensive restrictions on travel in and around the cityto enable adequate security.
    • This will have an impact on dental practices in and around the city and you should be prepared for this.
      • Think about staff getting to and from work
      • Think about patients’ travel and access to the practice
      • Think about whether your practice will be catering to delegates
      • Think about deliveries, lab work, out of hours arrangments.
    • A GG&C NHS briefing document is available and OHD have produced an FAQs for GDPs
  2. VENTILATION FUNDING
    • PCA(D)(2021)6 and SDR 152 set out what funding for practice ventilation improvements will be available.
    • GG&C OHD have now sent out an application form for ventilation funding. Practice owners/managers will find details in their generic practice inbox.
    • This funding is a capped and prorated reimbursement. Invoices/receipts will need to be provided.
    • This funding is conditional on further NHS commitment, you should read the PCA carefully before accepting the funding.
  3. RED BANDED HANDPIECE FUNDING
    • PCA(D)(2021)6  and SDR 152 set out funding arrangements for speed increasing electric motor hand-pieces (red band hand-pieces).
    • The theory is that red banded (speed increasing) hand-pieces used on an appropriate electric motor do not aerosolise fluids.
    • Any procedure using these instead of a high speed will therefore be nonAGP (standard PPE no fallow time) so long as:
      • The speed is set no more than 60,000 rpm
        • The speed your motor is set to is NOT the speed of the hand-piece, the hand-piece is speed multiplying
        • Red band hand-pieces typically multiple the speed x5
        • Therefore your motor must not be set any higher than 12,000rpm (5 x 12,000 = 60,000)
      • The air must be switched off (often a mechanism inside the hand-piece) and the water must be on.
      • The electric motor you attach it to must be appropriate (many standard slow speed connections are not suitable), funding covers new motors also.
    • GG&C OHD have now sent out the application form for hand-piece funding. Practice owners/managers will find details in their generic practice inbox.
    • This funding is a capped and prorated reimbursement. Invoices/receipts will need to be provided.
    • This funding is conditional on further NHS commitment, you should read the PCA carefully before accepting the funding.
  4. BOOSTER VACCINES
    • All dental team members are eligible for the Covid Booster and Flu jabs.
    • These can be booked through NHS inform website or by phone on 0800 030 8013.
    • If you have forgotten your username you can recover it using the links on the website. Alternatively call the phone number.
    • You will be offered both vaccines at one appointment.
  5. ACTIVITY MEASUREMENT
    • If your practice 3-month average is below 20% you should actively engage with the Oral Health Directorate to provide details of mitigating circumstances on 0141 2014210 as a matter of urgency.
    • Financial sanctions could be severe. You could have your FSM payments cut to 40% practice-wide (i.e. principal and all associates would be reduced together). 
    • Reports showing the 3 month average activity for your practice are available on the schedules website.
    • Associates, you should engage with your principals to make sure you are not at risk.
    • There is a very real possiblity the targets will increase in the wake of new funding and upcoming IPC changes.
  6. NEW IPC GUIDANCE
    1. New 4 nations Infection Prevention and Control guidance is being consulted on presently. If approved, changes could be implemented in a matter of weeks.
    2. The dental annex to this guidance is also being updated.
    3. Notably, there is an intention to scale back the need for enhanced PPE and fallow time in most AGP procedures where patients have been appropriately screened and triaged. The guidance has not yet been approved.
    4. This BDA article discusses the proposed changes in more detail.
  7. SDPC ELECTIONS
    • The triennial election process to SDPC has started.
    • Scottish Dental Practice Committee (SDPC) represents all non-salaried general dental practitioners in Scotland practising in the NHS and/or privately.
    • SDPC negotiates with NHS Boards, the Scottish Government and other appropriate bodies on matters relating to the delivery and remuneration of dental services provided by non-salaried general dental practitioners.
    • SDPC are your official representatives in this regard and the committee are democratically elected by you.
    • Any dentist who believes they have something to offer should consider standing. Regardless, every dentist should  consider voting in the election so that they can be confident their views will be represented.
    • The nomination process has commenced:
      • You can be nominated up until midday 25th October, by completing a form here.
      • You do not need to be a BDA member to be nominated
      • You can look to the flowchart below to better understand the structure of Scottish dental politics.
  8. OTHER NEWS
    • This month’s GG&C Oral Health Directorate news can be accessed here.
    • All SDPC agendas and reports are openly accessible here.
    • BDA live updates can be accessed here.
    • The Scottish Conference of LDCs website can be accessed here.