Website of the Department of Health

The standard contract has been provided as a MS Word document for primary care trusts (PCTs). This is so PCTs can amend to suit local needs and commissioning priorities. Unlike the new general medical services (GMS) contract it is intended that new general dental services contracts will be local contracts and PCTs are able to set the contract they wish, providing they take into account all the provisions in the legislation.

(Please note that earlier problems experienced with printing the standard GDS contract have been rectified.)

13 March 2006 revision:
Following a range of helpful comments on the model contracts issued in December 2005, we have asked our lawyers to review and revise the drafting of both the GDS Standard Contract document and Standard Clauses for a PDS Agreement.  The amendments are mainly of a technical nature, correcting cross references and numbering, but one or two additional clauses have been added where the meaning was unclear to users.

GDS and PDS versions of a Variation Notice are attached, which PCTs will need to issue where contracts or agreements have already been signed.  PCTs should use the 13 March versions of the Standard Contract and Clauses for PDS agreements in all cases where the relevant documents have not yet been signed by the parties.