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Secret timetable for reform exclusive
12th May 2005
The Government has announced a new timetable for changes to the GDP contract following the Health Secretary’s decision to delay implementation to April 2006, rather than this October. In February, the Chief Dental Officer wrote to PCTs and Strategic Health Authorities to tell them of the new arrangements. As yet however dentists have been kept in the dark, but Dentistry has uncovered the document. The timetable looks like this. PDS and recruitment • January 2005 – April 2006: PCTs to work with practices to move to PDS pilots and local contracts • March 2005: equivalent of an extra 350 full-time dentists to move into NHS dentistry and 25% practices in PDS pilots • April 2005: latest report on Options for Change field sites • October 2005: equivalent of 650 additional dentists from international recruitment to be in post • October 2005: 170 additional dental undergraduate places. Regulatory • Summer 2005: draft dental charges regulations – published for consultation • Summer 2005: permanent PDS regulations - published • Summer 2005: contract regulations (for those not in PDS) - published • Summer 2005: performers list regulations published • October – November 2005: final regulations made, subject to Parliament. Guidance • March 2005: orthodontic PDS guidance published • March 2005: consultation on salaried services review ends • September 2005: go-live guidance for PCTs and practices published. Funding The Department says it will ensure that PCTs’ dentistry budgets are sufficient to meet the full-year effects of PCTs’ financial commitments when local commissioning begins including PDS and access schemes, funding for international recruits, and actual GDS spend for the PCT’s locality which needs to be carried forward into local commissioning. • February 2005: £9.7m preparation funds allocated to PCTs • May – August 2005: PCT indicative budgets revised • June 2005: £15m recurrent access funds allocated to PCTs • July – August 2005: dentists’ prescribing profiles published • October - December 2005: proposed contract values and activity for local commissioning issued. Contracts • October-March 2006: PCTs and providers agree contracts • November 2005: contract regulations come into force.
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