Newsletter North Yorkshire and Humber Area Team
.
Latest on HTM 01-05 –
(Extracts below from BDA summary of key changes-April 13)
Storage
The most significant change announced is the extension to the shelf life of wrapped instruments from 21 or 60 days to a maximum of one year. The Department of Health has acknowledged that the previous timescales were not helpful in the management of frequently used instruments. In a related change, unwrapped instruments in the clinical area can now be stored for one day, or for one week if stored in a non-clinical area. A ‘non-clinical area’ is designated as either a clinical area not in current use or the clean area of a separate decontamination room.
How many sinks
The policy on manually cleaning and rinsing instruments has also been amended. The use of one sink and a removable bowl is now permitted. Manual washing and rinsing can now be achieved by using either two dedicated sinks with a separate or shared water supply, or one sink with a removable bowl that can be contained within the sink and can accommodate the instruments for rinsing.
Audits
The required frequency at which infection control audits should be conducted has also been changed. They are now required to be conducted every six months, rather than the previously stipulated every three months.
Endodontics
Where endodontic reamers and files are deemed reusable (need to check your packets to know this) they should be treated as single patient use or single use to reduce the risk of prion transmission
Uniforms
No longer needed to wash uniforms at 60 degrees just follow manufacturers advice and wash at hottest temperature for fabric concerned
Refilling spray bottles
It is now not good practice to refill spray bottles for cleaning and disinfecting solutions
I have the full version of the BDA key changes document and will be pleased to email you this if you contact me Caroline Bolland at c.bolland@nhs.net
Martin Fallowfield, the Chair of the BDA’s Principal Executive Committee, said:
“The BDA has argued repeatedly that the Department of Health should look again at some of the requirements of its decontamination guidance, especially those regarding instrument storage. The amendments strike a more sensible balance between ensuring patient safety and making reasonable requirements of practices.
.”
.
GDC Direct Access – Following a GDC Board meeting on Thursday 28th March 2013, Direct Access for Dental Therapists and Hygienists has been granted. Direct access comes into effect from Wednesday 1st May 2013 –
http://www.gdc-uk.org/aboutus/thecouncil/pages/direct-access-task-and-finish-group.aspx
Reviewed and undertaken is available on the direct access research page.
The Council approved the following changes, which will take effect from 1 May 2013:
• Dental hygienists and therapists can carry out their full scope of practice without prescription and without the patient having to see a dentist first;
• Dental nurses can participate in preventative programmes without the patient having to see a dentist first;
• Orthodontic therapists will continue to carry out the majority of their work under the prescription of a dentist but can carry out Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) screening without the patient having to see a dentist first.
• the work of a dental technician (other than repairs) should continue to carried out to the prescription of a dentist; and
• that clinical dental technicians should continue to see patients direct for the provision and maintenance of full dentures only and should otherwise carry out their work to the prescription of a dentist.
Changes will need to be made to the Performers Lists and contract regulations before the new arrangements can be fully applied
Changes to the scope of practice and the GDC’s guidance on standards are expected later this year however for the present time changes will have to be made to NHS Regulations before hygienists and therapists can deliver direct access within NHS arrangements and must still at present work under a dentists prescription. In private practice this is not the case from May 1st 2013
http://www.bda.org/news-centre/latest-news-articles/41767-gdc-accepts-direct-access-proposals.aspx
New Sharps guidance as from May 11th 2013
Following discussions with the HSE further clarification has now been obtained.
The EU Directive on Sharps injuries will apply to all employers within the Healthcare sector, including dentists. The general approach is to control the risks from recapping of needles, with the expectation that where recapping needs to take place, the risks from the process needs to be controlled.
Each practice will need to carry out a risk assessment and formulate its policy and procedures to reduce the risk of a needle stick injury, which is the purpose of the Directive. In most cases the Directive is not going to require practices to do anything different. Dentists do need to resheath some needles, they will need to have a written policy which covers a risk assessment having taken place and identify protocols for safe resheathing if this is required. The Directive does not mandate how resheathing should take place.
So in essence you do a risk assessment and decide that if needles must be resheathed, you are using a safe technique which doesn’t detract from the ability to give (relatively) painfree injections
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hsis7.pdf
News of Team day
“CPD Team Day” at Forest Pines (just outside Scunthorpe)on Saturday 9th November 2013, covering the 4 Core topics Radiation Protection, Consent and the Mental Capacity Act, Record Keeping and Medical Emergencies.
Please contact katylambert@nhs.net if you are interested in attending
Contacting the Area Team
As you all will appreciate we are all in a much bigger group than our previous PCT/CTP arrangements. The Area Team is responsible for about 240 dental practices and many of our previous dental commissioners have left to take up new challenges. The Area Team has new premises in York and shortly new telephone numbers and contact details will be released however for now I would ask your patience and suggest you contact either Roger, Alistair or Myself (Caroline) for dental advice
Emails as follows
Alister alisterweightman@nhs.net
Roger bhdp@btinternet.com
Myself (Caroline) c.bolland@nhs.net
If you wish to contact the Area Team the best way at the moment is also by email. Constance Pillar is our new Contracts Manager generally overseeing dentistry and her email address is for now as stated below; it is however appreciated if you could contact Constance sparingly, so as not to overload her inbox in the short term. In the long term a generic email is hoped to be set up so work can be distributed in Constance’s team appropriately
I do hope you find this newsletter helpful and look forward to helping you