Dear Dental Practitioners
I refer to the recent Memorandum to NHS Circular PCA(D)(2021)3 Funding Support for Ventilation Equipment in General Dental Practice. In line with that document practices can now make a claim for any associated costs of ventilating their surgeries.
The following is attached:
Memorandum to NHS Circular PCA(D)(2021)3 guidance from The Scottish Government.
DoD update letter on ventilation
Questions and Answers Sheet
Claim Form – claims can be submitted for equipment purchased from 1 April 2020 up to 31 March 2022.
· In order to operate this form and for the automated aspects to functions correctly you must enable Macros when prompted and after opening. If you are not prompted when opening, then you will see a security warning banner near the top of the screen. You should then click ‘options’ just beside the security warning then click ‘enable content’.
Once you have done this you can now enter details for your practice into the form. The first automated aspect is ‘number of dentists providing NHS GDS from this practice’. You must fill this box first for the next part of the form to populate. Any number above 1 entered in this box will add a further row to the ‘NHS Commitment percentage -enter each individual % for each dentist’. The practice average will be automatically calculated once you populate the boxes for each dentist. You can then enter the number of ventilated surgeries in the practice in the appropriate box. A Ventilation Allowance Entitlement figure will then be generated.
The ‘check answers’ button will alert you if there are any boxes that are not complete in the form.
Some points to note before submitting your claim:
Practice may claim the costs of ventilation equipment up to a maximum ventilation allowance payment of £1,500 per individual surgery
Only one claim is permitted per dental practice
Claims can only be accepted for expenditure occurred during the period 01 April 2020 to 31 March 2022
Where the amount receipted is less than the maximum ventilation allowance (as calculated for the practice in question) only the actual receipted value shall be paid
The ventilation allowance as calculated by ‘practice NHS commitment percentage’ multiplied by £1,500 and by the number of ventilated surgeries in the practice
The “NHS commitment percentage” is your self-certified assessment of the proportion of time dentists/hygienists/hygienist-therapists in your practice spend delivering NHS dental care with the remainder as private. This is NOT the same as the GP234 submission which is based on the proportion of income derived from NHS/private practice.
It is a condition of entitlement for payment of the ventilation allowance that all the contractors within the practice will continue to provide general dental services until 01 April 2024.
The claim form must be completed and signed by a person who is duly authorised to act on behalf of the dental contractors in a practice.
Completed applications must be received by NHS Boards no later then 31 March 2022.
Practices should be aware that failure to meet the criteria may result in pay back of all or part of the allowance received.
All claim forms are to be submitted to dental.contract@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk Any queries should also be directed to the same email address.
Kind Regards
PCCO TEAM
DoD update 23rd July ventilation and environment
PCA(D)(2021)3 – SDR 150 – Ventilation Allowance Payment – 6 July 2021 MEMORANDUM