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CDO - What's new
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Last modified date:10 October 2008
The latest dental policy publications, guidance documents, events and news.
5 September 2008
14 May 2008
Payscale for dentally qualified Clinical Educators in 2008/09
8 May 2008
Amended GDS and PDS Statements of Financial Entitlements came into force on 1 April 2008 which give effect to the financial increases for 2008-09.
25 April 2008
Guidance provided in January 2007 (Gateway reference 7719) has been updated to reflect comments from the NHS and to clarify expectations for the end of the financial year. The guidance is now generic and does not relate to any one year in particular.
This note provides advice for SHAs to share with PCTs on year end performance issues, including:
- arrangements for carrying forward any under-delivered services within the 4% tolerance allowed for within dental contracts
working with dental providers to ensure, as far as possible, that an even pattern of service is delivered throughout the contract year, and any early completion of contracted activity is managed
31 March 2008
The Department of Health has published a revised leaflet and poster for 2008, covering NHS dental services in England, what to expect when you go to the dentist, and where you can get more information. They also tell you about charges for NHS dental services.
5 March 2008
PDS agreements - termination provisions: note on the judgement of Mr Justice Collins in the Crouch case
The Department has yet to consider the formal judgement in this case which we expect to be handed down in early March. The Department will take a view on how best to deal with this judgement and at that stage further information regarding the Department's views will be available.
CDO Update
This CDO Update includes articles on the implications of the operating framework, on developments over the last 18 months, and on a number of other important issues that are currently coming to the fore. These include the implications of 2009, the latest on the new salaried services contract, developments in pay and pensions and the likely impact of the 18 weeks target.
5 February 2008
Guidance on fluoridation of drinking water
Letter from Chief Dental Officer Barry Cockcroft to SHAs and PCTs. It covers the legislative framework, the requirement for PCTs to assess the oral health needs of their population and good practices on the conduct of consultations on new fluoridation schemes (or changes in existing schemes).
16 January 2008
Commissioning NHS primary care dental services: meeting the NHS operating framework objectives
Gateway Reference: 8903
High level guidance launched by Ann Keen, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health Services, on 16 January 2008 setting out the Government's commitment to maintaining and expanding NHS dental services and the expectations on the NHS to deliver year on year increases in access, as set out in the NHS Operating Framework 2008/09, with more detail on what this means for commissioners and providers in developing dental services locally, including managing the 2009 transition.
8 January 2008
AL DOS 1/2008: Introduction of the 2007 salaried primary dental care contract (England)
Gateway reference: 9309
Advance letter setting out new pay arrangements and terms and conditions for dentists employed within the salaried primary dental care services in England.
21 December 2007
Guidelines for the appointment of dentists with a special interest (DwSI) in conscious sedation
Guidance to PCTs on the appointment of DwSIs in conscious sedation, including a competency framework, contract requirements, assessment standards and the scope of treatment that can be undertaken. This will be of particular use when reviewing contracts for advanced mandatory services in sedation.
28 November 2007
Valuing People’s Oral Health: A good practice guide for improving the oral health of disabled children and adults
Gateway reference 8660
Best practice guidance to improve oral health in disabled children and adults. This document builds on the principles within Choosing Better Oral Health and uses the evidence-based approach within Delivering Better Oral Health as a guide to assist all who provide and commission dental services for people with disabilities.
21 November 2007
Implementing local commissioning for primary care dentistry: Factsheet 19 - Competency training for dentists who have not undertaken vocational training
Gateway reference 8914
This factsheet provides guidance on the application of provisions within the NHS (Performer Lists) Regulation to dentists who have not completed vocational training but have gained experience of providing primary care services as a dentist. (Many of these dentists will be from countries outside the European Economic Area who have passed the General Dental Council’s International Qualifying Examination or Overseas Registration Examination.)
24 October 2007
Future of the Standing Dental Advisory Committee: consultation document
This consultation document explains how the Department has made increasing use of bodies like the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), and subject specific committees, for obtaining clinical evidence in dentistry; and goes on to propose that the Standing Dental Advisory Committee (SDAC) be abolished. Closing date: 31 January 2008
23 October 2007
NHS Identity Scheme for Dental Practices: Providing NHS Dentistry
This is a consultation and discussion paper which seeks views on proposals to introduce quality criteria in association with the roll-out of increased use of the NHS Identity in selected primary care dental practices. Closing date: 21 January 2008
16 October 2007
AL DOS 3/2007: Pay and allowances for dental public health staff
This Advance Letter informs NHS employers of the changes with effect from 1 November 2007 in the pay and allowances of dental public health staff on national terms including those appointed to Director of Public Health posts in PCTs. It is the second stage of the agreement for 2007/2008.
1 October 2007
Implementing local commissioning for primary care dentistry: Factsheet 18 - Payments for electronic data interchange
Gateway reference 8050
This factsheet notifies providers and the NHS that, in line with the policy of local commissioning of dental services, the current system of nationally administered grants for dental practices moving to electronic data interchange (EDI) with the Dental Services Division of the NHS Business Services Authority (DSD) has been discontinued. From 2008/09, the resources for the scheme will be transferred to PCT budgets.
Dentistry and vCJD
This paper, presented to the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) in February 2006, is a preliminary analysis of the possible risk of vCJD being transmitted via certain instruments (filers and reamers) used in endodontic dental procedures.
23 August 2007
Applying 18 week clock rules to dental specialties
The 18 weeks target covers referrals to consultant-led services in dental specialities, namely:
- Oral surgery
- Orthodontics
- Paediatric dentistry
- Restorative dentistry
- Periodontics
- Prosthodontics
- Oral medicine
- Dental and maxillofacial radiology
The target also covers referrals to oral maxillofacial services (OMFS), which (although a medical specialty) receives many of its referrals from dentists.
As with other service areas, delivering the target for dental specialities is likely to require fundamental service transformation. Merely doing the same faster will not achieve the target.
Two papers are available on the 18 Weeks website to explain how the wider principles that underpin the 18-week target apply to dental specialties. They also pull together learning from previous sources and outline key tools available to support delivery, points to consider, and where to find further information.
24 May 2007
19 April 2007
16 April 2007
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NHS dental services
Reforms introduced in April 2006 are designed to help provide better access to dental services and simplify the system of patient charges.
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