OMFS and COVID-19
Section last updated: 1 April 2021: 08:47
In the current unprecedented times, the fast moving information tsunami is impossible to follow comprehensively and contemporaneously.
Advice to our members is to monitor the official information sources in England and the devolved nations for the latest information. In that context we hope that the pages in this section will be useful. The 'Latest Updates' section on this page contains recent information only - previous advice / updates will be found in the respective sub-pages under this heading.
If you become aware of useful information or links related to COVID or anything else, please let us know and we can share via this section.
There are 6 key projects to which OMFS surgeons are asked to contribute: see COVID-19 research page
Latest updates:
1 April 2021: BAOS & BAOMS – Patient Waiting Lists, Overdose and Mental Health
26 January 2021: BAOS & BAOMS – PPE Guidance and the New SARS-CoV-2 variant
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: 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.
14/01/2021: Statements from Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges re COVID Vaccines:
13 January 2021: A letter from the BMA Chair to PHE
4 January 2021: BAOS & BAOMS – PPE Guidance and the New SARS-CoV-2 variant Paul Coulthard - BAOS President, Peter Brennan - BAOMS Chair
Recovery-related information to 27 October 2020:
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
The revised SOPs incorporate the recently published COVID-19: infection prevention and control dental appendix issued jointly by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC),Public Health Wales (PHW), Public Health Agency (PHA) Northern Ireland, Health Protection Scotland (HPS), Public Health Scotland, Public Health England and NHS England
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