Dorset LDC AGM 2012

General Dental Practitioners’ Committee

Paul Kelly

What is GDPC? The General Dental Practice Committee (GDPC) was

established in January 2003 and aims to reflect the mixed economy of general dental practice. It represents the interests, and acts on behalf of, dentists working in general practice. It is also recognised by the the Government as representing NHS general dental practitioners.

The committee's purpose is to: Represent and promote the interests of dentists in ALL types

of general practice and improve communication between them, enabling coherent policies to be developed and promoted on behalf of the profession.

Make possible rapid, efficient and representative responses to consultation from Government and other organisations.

Unite general dental practitioners and ensure their independence.

Ensure that appropriate services are developed for general dental practitioners

Who am I?

New NHS structureAll PCTs now clustered NHSNCB (National Commissioning

Board) is liveHealth and Wellbeing Boards are

present (based at Local Authorities)The application of Monitor to

dentistry is being resistedLocal HealthWatch (developed from

Link) will feed via National HealthWatch to the CQC

Likely flow of information. Simplified.

National Commissioning

Board

Field Force (of the NCB)

LDCDental Local Professional

Network

Health and Wellbeing Board

Public Health England

Health Education England

LPNs Local Professional Networks Comprise primary, secondary care, public health, public

voice and others in one group DH has stated that LPNs may become the

“commissioning vehicle” of the National Commissioning Board

Will also have a role in strategy and performance management

Provide input to Health and Wellbeing Board for JSNA. NB. JSNA will be taken into account by National Commissioning Board

DH documents state input from LDCs – helping to secure their role

Concerns over representation of members of LPNs, scrutiny and accountability

CQCCriticised by Health Committee,

National Audit OfficeDiscounted rate for multiple

locationsStated prepared to listen moreNeed standardised inspection

protocolVariable quality of assessments

New New ContractAnticipated roll out 2015 (???)Approx 70 pilots runningConcerns re. time taken for OHA ( ?20

mins+)Concerns re. increased patient waiting timesConcerns over independent evaluation of

pilotsConcerns restrictive nature RAG

scoring/pathways/ “computer says no”No progress on new patient charge

mechanismFunding for mandatory IT

GDC CHRE report (2011)pointed out failures New Chair – Professor Kevin O’Brien New FTP pathway – filtering cases at early stage Will be reducing from 24 to possibly 8 members Guidance documents to be rewritten Illegal dentistry – frustrating progress (despite 2011

EU restrictions for 0.1 and 6% hydrogen peroxide) Late payment of ARF – no progress Revalidation – progress under way (“Enabling

Excellence” White Paper forced a review of Evidence Base). Likely at least 2015

New CPD framework to be developed Quality Assurance for dental nurse training – impact

on courses

NHS Choices

Concern re anonymous complaints on NHS Choices website

Concern that these cannot be removedConcern that practices haven’t been given

the facility to change their core data when they need to

Small number of comments is no valid indicator of practice quality

Undermines complaints procedures

Seniority Pay

If you reach 55 after 31 March 2011 you will not get itDH tells us that it contravenes the

Equality Act 2010

OFT investigation

Office of Fair Trading – NHS and Private Looking at how the “dental market” (their words)

operates (Information, barriers to entry to dentistry, barriers to entry to NHS market, competition, ability to switch, complaints mechanisms))

Response - Healthcare cannot be commodified Response – “switching” is not necessarily to be

encouraged like gas supplier Have the corporates been a trigger for this? Also looking at “direct access” – visiting a DCP

without a dentist first (GDC position on this has been unclear)

How much is a planned service a market anyway?

(Some)Other IssuesRevised HTM 01-05FD/VT recruitment processRemuneration/ resisting demands for efficiency

savings IncorporationProtection on death of a contractorUnchanged contract value moving from PDS to

GDS Clarification over force majeureClarification over advanced mandatory servicesReview of the Dental Workforce – commissioned

by DH and done by Centre for Workforce Intelligence

Our sponsored walk

The Two Moors Way.Across both Exmoor and Dartmoor. 102 milesAims: 1.raise money for Mouth Cancer Foundation. 2. raise public awareness of oral cancer.