Letters
Instead of ‘Letters to the Editor’, this issue we feature two letters of protest, one to the BDA and the other to NHS Education for Scotland. These are exact copies of the letters sent out by the correspondents
Rocky road to recovery
Dear Pat Kilpatrick (director BDA Scotland) and Robert Donald (SDPC chair), Thank you for sending out the letter of advice Re: recovery of the alleged overpaid monies, a situation made necessary by the flawed ‘lifelong registra- tion’ system introduced by the Scottish Government, despite its obvious problems being pointed out by dentists at the time of its introduction. I am appalled that the
PCFS is planning to bulldoze the recovery through, while ignoring the equally obvious flaws in the recovery process. I am equally appalled that the BDA and the SDPC have rolled over and accepted this situation. What you are asking us to accept is that it’s okay for the board to take away money from us in a single month, in the hope that we will be able to make up the amount through a 2.5 per cent ‘uplift’, which was woefully inadequate in the first place. This has been a tactic used
for many years. Remember the previous clawback when figures were initially leaked which were very high? When the compromise figure was negotiated, we all breathed a sigh of relief and accepted it. The caving in by our repre- sentatives to this new clawback only opens the door for similar tactics to be used in the future. I’d be interested to hear
what your advice will be to myself and other associates in a
22 Scottish Dental magazine
similar position. This clawback covers a period dating back to 2006. From 2006-20ı2, I was a practice owner. In July 20ı2, I sold my practice but continued to work for the new owners as an associate. When the board takes an amount from my February schedule, the new owners and myself will have to enter into negotiation as to what percentage of the clawback is my responsibility from the time I was owner, and how much is from the period since I became an associate. In the seven years since
this situation has arisen, there must be hundreds of associates who have moved on and changed list numbers. For the total amount to be subtracted from their current list number is surely flawed. Are their current employers supposed to pursue money from the previous employers? What about the practitioners who have moved away from Scotland or retired between 2006 and 20ı3? How is the clawback going to be applied to anyone who has no current list number? Your letter states that the
timetable commences with a letter sent to each practi- tioner “sent out late December” with only a figure in it. This letter should be accompanied by the data which has led the board to come up with the figure they claim is due from each practitioner. It is unacceptable that we have to
request the data and that there is a time limit on challenging the figure owed. It is up to the board to prove
that the figure has some basis in fact. Since the original system was flawed from the outset, why should we believe their figures now? The BDA should be urging all practi- tioners to request the data. They should have to prove their figures are accurate from the outset. An apology from the Scottish Government for the situation arising wouldn’t go amiss either. At a time when the majority
of Scottish dentists have remained loyal to the NHS, and figures suggest that their take home pay has reduced by ı0 per cent from the 2008 levels, this is an unwelcome kick in the teeth, not helped by the helpless wringing of hands by our representatives and the acceptance that “nothing can be done”. At least, if nothing can be done, we should make a lot of noise, and maybe the Govern- ment will cease to think of us as pushovers. Thank you also, for the
template letter to send to the Scottish Minister for Public Health. I would urge all dentists to either send the letter as it is, or even add some choice words of their own.
® Yours sincerely, David Garrick, GDP, Alva
BDA response: Dr Garrick is absolutely right and echoes the feelings of GDPs across Scotland. Clearly we welcome his encouragement to the profession to make good use of the template letter the BDA has drafted for the profession; only by speaking up in numbers can we convey to the Scottish Government just how strongly we feel on this issue. The BDA is lobbying hard behind the scenes, of course – and that lobbying has already secured a delay to the process, but more remains to be done and the public noise we can make by acting as one is invaluable. This is a woeful tale. We
have lifelong registration, let us not forget, against the advice of the profession. The BDA lobbied hard to explain the potential problems with it. So there can be no doubt that the problems that are now arising are of Scottish Government’s making. And now we have shifting param- eters for the recovery exercise. There are clear problems with Scottish Government’s data and the fact that it cannot even guarantee not to pursue deceased practitioners is nothing short of disgraceful. If even one widow or widower is troubled by a letter because the Scottish Government cannot take the trouble to get its data right, there will be a massive outcry and the BDA will be leading it. That’s why
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