Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

March 25-31, 201318 United Kingdom EditionPractice Management A s health care profes- sional we have a duty of care to our patients. All our staff are trained to do so and taken an oath on pro- tecting patients. However we seem to have had forgotten or deliberately trampled the truth. We have a responsi- bility and are gait to protect patients and improve on our skills in order to deliver the best treatment and maintain standards. Vast majority of the dental care professionals use their skills, education and dedication to deliver the most excellent treatment to their patients. The Department of Health publication ‘Shifting the Bal- ance of Power: the next steps’ stresses that: ‘It is essential in protecting patients that in- stances of poor practitioner performance are recognised much earlier than they have been in the past and effective solutions found. It is anticipat- ed that many more will in fu- ture be helped by retraining or other means to restore an ac- ceptable standard of practice.’ PCO If you have an NHS contract your Primary Care Organisa- tion (PCO) will have a Prac- titioner Advice and Support Scheme (PASS). This is a com- mittee who will investigate underperformance and pro- vide support and guidance. PASS can recommend ad- ditional training, courses or mentoring etc. Practitioner Advice and Support Scheme (PASS) The government guidelines for PASS are as follows: • The PCOs will work with the Local Dental Committee to help develop a system for identification, assessment and remediation in general dental practice • The process must be clear in distinguishing concerns from complaints. Concerns can come from anyone, and can lead to an investigation of the wider content of a GDP’s prac- tice, whereas a complaints investigation is limited to spe- cific circumstances • Information might reach the Panel via the following routes: - Self-referral - Member of the public - Dental Practice Board - The PCO - A concerned colleague - A member of practice staff • Under-performance can be reviewed under the four el- ements of commissioning accountability framework, namely: - Clinical and professional - Patients and the wider public - Management - Finance General Dental Council The GDC has a three-stage complaints procedure for dealing with allegations about the registrant’s performance. At stage one the allegations are considered by a casework- er. If they need further in- vestigation the information is passed on to the Investigating Committee (IC). At stage two the IC consid- ers the allegations, comments from the dental professional, any additional comments from the individual who made the allegations. All parties receive a complete copy of the paper- work (excluding any sensi- tive health information). The IC decides whether to refer the case to full public enquiry (stage three) or not to refer it for a public inquiry and take no further action or issue ad- vice or warning. If the case is referred for a full public en- quiry it is forwarded to one of practice committees – the Pro- fessional Conduct Committee, the Professional Performance Committee or the Health Committee. If the IC decides to refer the allegations for an enquiry, they can refer the dental pro- fessional to the Interim Orders Committee (IOC) to consider whether to impose conditions or interim suspend until the enquiry has been held. At stage three (full public inquiry) the relevant Commit- tee hears evidence and inves- tigates facts. If any allegations are proven, the Committee can erase the registrants, suspend them, impose conditions on registration, prohibiting them, for example, from working in a particular area of practice or issue a reprimand. See the GDC guidelines Principles for Raising Concerns which is downloadable from the GDC website. The GDC states: ‘Try to raise concerns locally first. Come to us if you can’t, or if you have already raised a con- cern locally and nothing has been done about it.’ National Clinical Assess- ment Service NCAS The PCO or GDC may decide to involve NCAS for the more complex or serious cases. NCAS has dealt with over 3000 cases of underperformance in doctors and dentists and brings great experience to- wards helping practitioners to improve standards and keep working. NCAS works in a number of different ways and for com- plex cases may carry out an assessment and can recom- mend further training or men- toring. Dentists’ Health Support Programme The Dentists’ Health Support Programme was launched by the British Dental Association in January 1986 under the ti- tle ‘The Sick Dentist Scheme’, the DHSP title was adopted in 2001. The objects of the pro- gramme are to identify and support dentists who may be impaired by dependency/ad- diction to alcohol or other drugs. Through a system of investigation, verification, in- tervention, referral for treat- ment, post-treatment support and monitoring the dentist can overcome his/her impairment and is supported in return to satisfactory, safe practice. A colleague may be re- ferred to this programme ei- ther personally or from one of the other bodies referred to above. GDC principles for raising concerns Ensure that staff members have familiarised themselves with the GDC principles of raising concerns and clarify any issues and questions at a practice meeting. Adapt a policy on raising concerns and provide staff members with the relevant training to ensure that they are aware of who they need to notify in the relevant circum- stances. Provide relevant informa- tion to the new staff members during their induction pro- gramme. For more details about the Practitioner Advice and Sup- port Scheme (PASS), carry out a Google Search and you should find details of your lo- cal scheme Government has scrapped the draconian confidential- ity clauses aimed at silenc- ing whistle-blowers, in the NHS. This is assuredly the best news in the NHS oppose to its negative press. It is time to put things right by ending the blame culture. We all are adults, not children who work in the profession, and should be able to take responsibility to raise concerns of our poor performance to protect the public, which simply could be our family. Staff should be encouraged regularly and should be alerted by the sys- tems in place not only by the government but by our own working environment. There should not be a fear to report any wrong doing, misconduct or any poor performance as it will elevate the profession and the surgery performance. It has proven that ‘Non-dis- clausing’ clause in contracts has silenced the profession for some time. Towards April each year we (most of us) chase the UDAs, that is a fact. Some might say we are forced by the system to do so. Are we doing this ethi- cally? Meeting targets, ticking the boxes and endless bureau- cracy has brought this upon us! Many of you may agree but I leave this to my intelligent readers. DT Blowing the whistle and protecting patients Dilhani Silva details who to contact when you’re concerned about a colleague ‘We have a respon- sibility and are gait to protect patients and improve on our skills in order to de- liver the best treat- ment and maintain standards’ Whistle blowing is a responsibilitiy About the author Dilhani Silva is Practice Manager for orthodontic clinic, Orthoclinic Limited.