Links to CDO, PHE and other official documents
14 January 2021: Message from GDC: Joint statement issued by the health and social care regulators in relation to how we have, and will continue to, regulate in light of COVID-19. Please also note, this includes new supplementary advice issued to GDC decision makers in fitness to practise, providing a lasting point of reference for appropriate considerations to be made around some of the specific challenges COVID-19 has created for dental professionals.
25 January 2021: Following extensive news coverage, BMA and social media campaigns about delays to the second dose COVID vaccine, a joint statement from the 3 UK Surgical Royal Colleges, ENT-UK and BAOMS has just been published. This statement will also be available on the respective Colleges and the FSSA sites.
14 January 2021: Statements from Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges re COVID Vaccines:
13 Jan 2021: A letter from the BMA Chair to PHE
27 October 2020: from the Chief Dental Officer England - revised SOPs are now published
I am pleased to announce that the revised SOPs are now published
Key points to note
The IPC guidance and the revised SOPs address one of the key challenges facing dental practices; the duration of the post Aerosol Generating Procedure (AGP) downtime. The IPC guidance details the variable duration of the post AGP downtime, with detail of the required mitigating measures and ventilation parameters. In summary where a surgery’s ventilation system can achieve 6 to 9 Air Changes/Hour (ACH), a baseline post AGP downtime of 20 minutes is recommended. Where there are 10 or more ACH, a baseline post AGP downtime of 15 minutes is recommended.
I would also ask you to note that as detailed in the UK IPC Guidance for dental settings FFP3 masks are recommended for AGP procedures. It is important that all dental professionals are offered the highest levels of protection as recommended. However, we recognise that across the system there are existing stocks of FFP2 masks and it is understood that it may be necessary for practices to continue to use these until staff are successfully fit tested and supplied with the appropriate FFP3.
With regards the position of CQC – given the publication of the IPC Guidance and the clarification that FFP3 are now the recommended level of protection, we have discussed with the regulator the logistics of the transition to FFP3 for all staff involved in delivering AGPs. In particular the logistics of fit testing and FFP3 supply may take a reasonable period of time. Practices/providers are advised to have a plan in place to demonstrate the steps they are taking to complete the transition to FFP3 masks for AGPs in a timely and safe manner.
Regards
Sara Hurley
Chief Dental Officer England
5 October 2020: Delivering core NHS and care services during the pandemic and beyond: House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee - Second Report of Session 2019–21 Report, together with formal minutes relating to the report
July 24 2020: Clinical Guide to Surgical Prioritisation During the Coronavirus Pandemic: from the Federation of Surgical Specialty Associations (FSSA) -this Guide was produced at the request of NHS England at the start of the pandemic. It is written by specialists in the procedures listed and is updated at least every month. It sets out what clinicians view as the relative priorities of conditions at the time it is posted.
June 9 2020: For the provision of urgent dental care in primary care dental settings (from 8 June 2020) and designated urgent dental care provider sites - this is an update to previous guidance. All updates are highlighted in yellow.
(From The Office of the Chief Dental Officer England, NHS England and NHS Improvement)
June 2 2020: 2 documents from NHS Scotland on AGPs
May 28 2020: NHS Digital latest COVID-19 info tool
- Up-to- date official health information on coronavirus (COVID-19) is available through the NHS.UK syndication service. This provides clinically-approved content from the NHS website. A range of tools are available, all of which provide access to information that reflects the latest official health advice. Content is automatically updated whenever changes are made to the NHS website.
May 28 2020: On behalf of Sara Hurley, Chief Dental Officer England - please see these documents completed on 19th May 2020, for which agreement to release has now been secured
May 4 2020: COVID and Planning for Restarting Planned Surgery
May 1 2020: Message from the Chief Dental Officer England