MDDUS welcomes the clear advice provided by Sara Hurley, the chief dental officer for England, and the OCDO that the national lockdown in England announced by the prime minister at the weekend (and due to start on November 5) will not have a negative impact upon the delivery of NHS dental care.
MDDUS’s existing advice to members who treat patients on a private basis remains, that they should pay attention to guidance offered and reach their own professional judgment on the way that care is delivered. They will be expected to put patients’ best interests and the safety of team members at the forefront of their considerations.
Members should review and update their Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in order to maintain the necessary standards of infection protection, mindful of the prevailing levels of lockdown and risk rating for the spread of coronavirus. The SOP for NHS care should be consistent with the OCDO and Public Health England directions.
MDDUS assures its members that the indemnity it offers is not conditional upon following one set of guidance in preference to another. It expects members to make their own professional judgments in developing their SOP mindful of all the advice, guidance and information available.