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Your NHS dentistry and oral health update
Thursday 22 July 2021 (Issue 20)
An update from Sara Hurley and Ed Waller
Dear colleague,
We are writing with further information on the Government's announcement that if there is a likelihood that staff absence creates a significant risk to the health or safety of patients, health staff whose activities are critical to the on-going provision of care and who have been identified as a contact of a case of COVID-19 may be able to attend work rather than self-isolate if they are fully vaccinated (more than 14 days after the second dose).
The NHS' Chief Nursing Officer, Chief People Officer and National Medical Director have written to you and other NHS colleagues to clarify what this means. Please read this letter carefully.
Alongside Healthwatch and minister Jo Churchill, we have also written to NHS dental practices asking they keep their NHS profiles up to date. We ask that you do this as a matter of priority.
We are deeply saddened that Dame Margaret Seward, former Chief Dental Officer England has passed away. Margaret was the first woman CDO and a passionate advocate for oral health and the profession. Our thoughts are with her family at this time.
Best wishes and thanks,
Sara & Ed
Sara Hurley
Chief Dental Officer England
Ed Waller
Director of Primary Care
NHS England
Staff isolation: process for returning to work
The Government guidance 'COVID-19: management of staff and exposed patients or residents in health and social care settings' can be found online here.
The NHS' letter to healthcare staff (19 July) can be found online here. This has been sent to you via the usual cascade processes.
You should read both these documents in full.
A discussion will need to take place between the relevant worker and their employer about whether it would be appropriate to make use of these provisions based on the facts of the individual case.
Risk assessment as per the published guidance should be carried out by the senior clinical leadership (e.g. the practice principal or senior associate) in that practice. We recommend that the risk assessment takes into account the considerations in the NHS' letter as of 19 July and any other recommendations or instructions from local public health teams.
You should notify your local commissioner of the outcome of the process unless they inform you this is not required, and assume that the Director of Public Health must formally authorise each individual’s return to work, unless notified of an alternative sign off process.
Updating your NHS website profile: a letter from Minister Jo Churchill, NHS England and Healthwatch
Patients’ main source of information when looking for an NHS dentist is from the nhs.uk website. Although there are many practices that are updating their information regularly on the nhs.uk page there are also many profiles that are not up to date. Please read the letter from the minister Jo Churchill, Healthwatch and NHS England on the importance of keeping these profiles up to date.
The letter has been sent to you via NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) and is online here.
A reminder of Friday's Standard Operating Procedure changes
On Friday, we published an updated Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) as well as clarity that infection prevention control guidance remains in place. The bulletin with the summary of SOP changes and relevant links can be accessed here.
This week, the SOPs for general practice, optometry and pharmacy were withdrawn. We have decided to keep the SOP for dentistry in place because the particular infection prevention control requirements for dentistry limits capacity. Therefore, the SOP is required to help the profession navigate these requirements, in particular to enable clinical prioritisation. As we said on Friday, we are looking at what further changes can be made to the SOP and when the SOP can be withdrawn.
Spread the word: We're helping keep you and others safe
As well as a summary of the amended SOP, you can find further patient facing resources in Friday's bulletin, including draft website and social media copy, social media resources and more, which you can read by clicking here. If you didn't' receive it, please check your junk mail.
Click on the below graphic to link to twitter and share the word that NHS dental teams are helping patients and others stay safe.
"Because I care"
Please do share this video and accompanying message on your social media channels to help spread the message that there are still important measures in healthcare settings to limit the spread of the virus.
"Because I care". NHS patients, staff and visitors must continue to wear face coverings and follow social distancing measures in healthcare settings. Please help us to reduce the risk of infection to keep colleagues, patients and yourself safe
Flu vaccination programme 2021/2022
The Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed that all frontline health and social care workers should receive a flu vaccination this season. This should be provided by their employer, in order to meet their responsibility to protect their staff and patients and ensure the overall safe running of services. Employers should commission a service which makes access easy to the vaccine for all frontline staff, encourage staff to get vaccinated, and monitor the delivery of their programmes. Further detail is online.
NHS mental health crisis help lines
Since May 2020, all NHS mental health trusts in England have operated urgent mental health helplines, four years ahead of the original NHS Long Term Plan target. Our 24/7 all ages NHS mental health helplines were set up, or in some cases expanded, as part of the mental health sector’s response to COVID-19 and have supported around 250,000 people a month since they were rolled out.
You can find more case study examples of the helplines and how they have supported the public. Find your local mental health helpline via nhs.uk/urgentmentalhealth.
Signing up to this bulletin
Have you been sent this email by someone else?
This bulletin is a round up of all the latest news and important resources for anyone working in NHS dental services. We'll send it out as and when important news needs to come your way. If you've already signed up but didn't receive the update, then check your junk folder for the confirmation email and make sure you've followed the instructions to complete sign up.
Previous NHS dentistry and oral health bulletins
Previous bulletins can be accessed by clicking on the links below:
NHS primary care bulletin
The NHS primary care bulletin provides resources on health policy and practice and we encourage you to sign up for this, too. It is aimed at teams across general practice, dentistry, community pharmacy and optometry.
A reminder of the latest COVID-19 advice and guidance
NHS updates to the profession
Key updates from the Chief Dental Officer and the NHS dentistry and oral health team are all online here.
Transition to Recovery: Dentistry's standard operating procedure
The latest version was published on Friday 16 July 2021. Changes to the previous SOP are in yellow. You can read the SOP online here.
COVID-19: infection prevention and control dental guidance
The guidance is an appendix to and should be read in conjunction with the national guidance on infection prevention and control for COVID-19 . You can read the general guidance and the specialist dental appendix online here.