BDA Statement in response to the CDO webinar

Scotland: Clarity required on financial support, PPE supplies and ventilation

Dear BDA member,

Over 300 members of the dental profession in Scotland joined the 'Scottish dentistry - where-next?' webinar last Thursday (27 May). The event was organised by the Conference of Scottish Local Dental Committees Agenda Committee, with BDA Scotland providing administrative support, as a follow-up to the successful annual LDC conference on 23 April. If you missed it, a recording of the webinar is available at https://scot-ldc.co.uk/scottish-dentistry-where-next/

The webinar involved Chief Dental Officer Tom Ferris and Scottish Government Senior Policy Advisor David Notman answering a series of questions from delegates on a range of issues. This was followed by a presentation by Alan Whittet (Senior Dental Adviser, Practitioner Services Division) on the Covid support payments, and further questions from attendees.

Feedback from the event indicated that while delegates welcomed the opportunity to hear directly from the CDO, Scottish Government and PSD, they were also frustrated about the lack of clarity on a range of issues, including:

  • The introduction of minimum activity thresholds as a basis for tiered financial support
  • The need for a more sustainable funding support model to move beyond the current “fossilised” state and allow practices to plan their finances
  • Inadequate financial support for dentists going on maternity, paternity, adoptive and long-term sick leave
  • Funding arrangements for new associates, associates moving between practices, and locums joining practices
  • Guidance and funding to increase ventilation and reduce fallow time between treatments
  • Whether PPE supplies will continue after June
  • A clear “road map” out of the current inertia to give practitioners some idea of how things will change over the coming year (allowing for further pandemic restrictions).

We have been pursuing these and other issues with the Scottish Government for several months, and recently wrote to the CDO to seek clarity around plans and timescales.

Our regular meetings with the CDO and Scottish Government – which were paused during the pre-election period – are due to recommence soon, and we will again be pressing for clarity and to campaign on behalf of our members and the wider profession.

Yours,

Phil Grigor
National Director, BDA Scotland