COVID-19 Update

03 April 2020

On 30th March we wrote to you to highlight the Chief Dental Officer's advice to cease routine dental treatment, offer telephone triage and either advice, analgesia or antibiotics. The advice then went on to say that patients needing more definitive treatment should be referred through Local Urgent Dental Care centres, being established through NHSE/I

We understand from concerns you have raised with us that these Local Urgent Dental Care centres are not yet operational across all the country. Until such time as these are operational we hope the following will be helpful whilst you continue to support national policy, advice and guidance.

• All routine dental care should have stopped.Practices should offer telephone triage and advice, giving prescriptions where necessary.
• Patients requiring active emergency treatment should be referred to Local Urgent Dental Care systems where treatment can safely be provided.
• Where Local Urgent Dental Care systems are not available, and patient management by advice, analgesia and antibiotics has not been successful, professionals should use their judgement to determine whether to offer treatment face to face. This judgement must have regard to current guidance including;

     -    Guidance from the GDC

     -     the need to reduce the population risk of virus transmission and

     -     the use of appropriate PPE

• In these circumstances CQC will seek assurances from the provider that they are delivering safe and well led care; especially in accordance with the public health requirements governing appropriate responses to the COVID–19 pandemic.