Mr Joe FitzPatrick MSP
Minister for Health
St Andrew’s House
Edinburgh
October 4th 2020
Dear Mr Joe FitzPatrick MSP,
General Dental Services (GDS) Budget
On behalf of the Scottish Dental Association (SDA) and following your letter (ref: 202000055870) to Mr Graham Smith in relation to the Public Dental Service budget, we would be grateful for the following information to assist us in consideration of a realistic proposal for the new Statement of Dental Remuneration (SDR):
- Please detail the predicted positive or negative impact of ‘COVID support’ for General Dental Practitioners (GDPs) on GDS payments in this financial year.
- A breakdown of SDR claims in relation to individual treatment items including – but not necessarily exclusively – porcelain veneers, cobalt chrome dentures, orthodontic claims, dental bridges and dental crowns.
- A quantified patient contribution value for the 2019-2020 financial year.
- The proposed future impact on patient contributions in approximate terms, given the long-term proposals for ‘fallow’ times and the implementation of appropriate surgery ventilation, reduced NHS patient numbers, rubber dam and additional PPE requirements.
We are consulting on future contract items which would be acceptable to our colleagues in relation to GDS treatments. We would be grateful for your assistance in providing this information to help us formulate proposals for consideration by the Scottish Government.
We look forward to your response and an opportunity to discuss the above at your earliest convenience.
Yours Sincerely,
Douglas Thain BDS
Chair of Interim Committee, Scottish Dental Association