News
| Childsmile latest p30 | Endodontics p56 | Business and fi nancial p70
Premises values updated in 2015
First revaluation for six years likely to throw up surprises
The Scottish Government has decided to combine the Practice Premises Revaluation Exercises for 20ı2 and 20ı5, the fi rst time the evaluation will have been carried out since 2009. The exercise to update valuations of
general dental practitioners’ practice premises is for the purposes of reim- bursement of practice rental costs under Determination XV of the Statement of Dental Remuneration (SDR), and is supposed to take place every three years. In a letter to all dentists, Chief Dental
Offi cer Margie Taylor says the costs to be reimbursed are either: • the current market rent or actual lease rent for the premises in the case of contractors who are leaseholders, whichever is the lower; or
• the notional rent, which is the current market rental value, in the case of contractors who are owner occupiers; less any abatement. The lengthy period between valua-
tions means fi gures are out of date and could throw up some surprising results, warns Pat Kilpatrick, national director of BDA Scotland.
“We’re a bit behind the eight ball with it, because no one can be entirely sure how the updated valuations are going to come out,” she said. “A lot has changed in the property
market in the past four years, and the outcomes could be variable, depending on various factors such as where your practice is, what is round about it and whether you spent money upgrading it. We just don’t know.” A professional valuer, the Valuation
Offi ce Agency (VOA), has been appointed to undertake the valuation of dental prem- ises which are either NHS committed or partially committed, irrespective of whether the practice currently receives rent reimbursement. The valuation exercise is due to
be completed by 28 February and valua- tions will be determined as at ı April in both 20ı2 and 20ı5. A memorandum to the CDO’s letter
advises dentists that the VOA will contact practices to arrange convenient times for premise visits and to ask that contractors complete a questionnaire prior to the visit.
Amazon adventure CHARITY WORK
Queensferry dentist Maria Papavergos swapped her surgery for a two-week ‘holiday’ on a medical ship in Peru recently, helping villagers living along the banks of the Amazon. The ship, Amazon Hope, is run by
the Vine Trust, a Scottish-based charity that runs two medical ships, manned by medical and dental volunteers who help the permanent Peruvian staff on board serve remote Peruvian communities. Maria, who self funded the trip with
help from generous patients at Ferryburn Dental Care, said: “I wanted to give some- thing back to society and this opportunity allowed me to use my skills as a dentist to help communities that don’t enjoy our level of care.” Maria fl ew to Lima, the capital of Peru,
and then on to the jungle city of Iquitos, where she took a six-hour ‘water taxi’
12 Scottish Dental magazine
up the Amazon to join the crew of the Amazon Hope. The boat is equipped with a dental surgery and several doctors’ consultation rooms as well as a fully stocked pharmacy. Maria said: “I joined four other doctors
from the UK and every morning we’d travel up the Amazon to a new village to help. The villagers would come on to the boat and register and we’d all treat their ailments. “Although people live in relativity poor
conditions compared to the west in terms of housing and facilities, they were very self suffi cient and resilient. They have a healthy diet of fi sh, rice, vegetables and fruit, but unfortunately western-style fi zzy drinks have taken their toll and caused a lot of tooth decay. “I saw up to 20 people a day and had to
pull a lot of teeth. They were very good patients, very accepting of the treatment and grateful too, but in high temperatures
and high humidity it was tough work sometimes. “The wildlife was amazing on the
Amazon, from wonderfully coloured birds to pink dolphins, and at night the jungle was alive with sounds. “It was a really worthwhile experience
and I’d recommend others to give it a go as you can really make a tangible difference to peoples lives.”
®
www.vinetrust.org/volunteer/medical_teams
Urge to act CHILD PROTECTION
Scottish dentists have been urged to act swiftly if they have any concerns regarding child protection issues. In a recent statement, MDDUS said it is frequently being contacted by practitioners who are unsure of how to proceed when they suspect a child’s welfare is at risk.
Reminding dentists of their ethical duty to protect children at risk of harm, MDDUS dental adviser Rachael Bell, said: “We are receiving many calls looking for advice and we advise all dentists to familiarise themselves with local arrangements for child protection.
“Early intervention can make all the difference in cases of suspected abuse or neglect and dentists need to act. However, you should ensure the child’s dental needs are met fi rst, particularly if they are in pain. “Ignoring any signs of neglect can have serious implications for the child and the practitioner could face GDC sanctions. It can be helpful to discuss your initial concerns with a colleague but the decision as to whether to act is ul timately the responsibility of the treating dentist.”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84