NHS Dentistry crisis
Normally you come to us for help and advice. However now we are urgently asking for your help.
We need your support to allow us to return to something approaching normal NHS dentistry provision again.
Dentistry has been identified as a possible high-risk area for potential transmission of Covid-19. The dental profession has always strived to comply with all National Guidelines relevant to dental practice and especially those relating to cross infection control.
The new guidance for safe return to work during the current pandemic will involve not only significant changes to the level of PPE required for our team but also, and probably more significantly, a greater amount of surgery time to complete each treatment safely for all concerned.
In order for us to keep you, our staff and ourselves safe, we need the Department of Health to respond now. Two things that would greatly help with this are;
1. Access to free or affordable and consistent supplies of effective type 2 PPE that is suitable for use during drilling/filling and other aerosol generating procedures by 1st August 2020.
2. Financial support that takes into account the necessary significant fallow period required after each patient contact and the additional time for the environmental cleaning after this fallow period. This support must be in place for the duration of the requirement to comply with the new safety guidance procedures.
These two elements of support are vital to restart and sustain NHS dentistry.
Please write to the Minister responsible:
Robin Swann- robin.swann@mla.niassembly.gov.uk
Colm Gildernew MLA Chair of the Health Committee- colm.gildernew@mla.niassembly.gov.uk
MP Carla Lockhart- carla.lockhart.mp@parliament.uk
Your local MLA
The civil servant responsible; Acting Chief Dental Officer Michael Donaldson michael.donaldson@hscni.net