Financial support available for Dental Practices in Scotland

Thursday 2 April brought an update from the Chief Dental Officer regarding NHS funding for Scottish Dental Practices affected by Coronavirus.

Covid 19 Revised Financial Support Measures for practices offering NHS General Dental Services https://www.scottishdental.org/covid-19-revised-financial-support-measures/

NHS Scotland has announced it is now going to provide 80 percent NHS of gross item of service income.

  • Commitment status is to continue to be protected.
  • Allowance payments for rent and individual commitment are to be protected at the March 2020 schedule level.
  • Continuing Care and Capitation Payments will continue as normal

The conditions placed on practices to obtain the above are that:-

  • People can continue to contact a dental professional during normal working hours.
  • Patient contact with the practice should be by telephone.
  • Practices should operate an Advice: Analgesia: Anti-Microbial basis to provide relief until the urgent dental team can see a patient.
  • It is also a condition of the financial support measures that there must be no consequential loss of workforce in the practice as contractors and their practice staff will be required to assist the wider NHS, including the Public Dental Service, when asked by the NHS Board.*
  • Contractors must immediately advise their local NHS Board if their associateship agreement or any other arrangement with a practice has been terminated or put into abeyance whilst the current financial support measures are in place. In these circumstances the financial support for that contractor will cease with immediate effect.

*It is hoped further clarity will be provided regarding the consequential loss of workforce clause. In England it’s recently been announced mixed practices may claim additional government support in line with their proportion of private income.

Other financial support measures potentially available in addition to the above are the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, self-employment income support scheme and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme.

If you need help working out how this will affect your finances going forward, please speak to your usual Dodd & Co contact.

For information on support available for Dental Practices in England please see our link here.