Digest News


Mental health support for GPs


GPs in England suffering from stress, depression or addiction can now seek help from a new NHS GP Health Service offering specialist mental health support. The new confidential service, backed with funding of up to £19.5 million over the next five years, operates on a self-referral basis but is not intended for emergency or crisis issues. It is staffed by professionals specialising in mental health support to doctors, who will be based in each of the 13 NHS England local team areas, available from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 2pm Saturday. It is being provided by The Hurley Clinic


Partnership, who operate a similar service based in London, and can be accessed via phone 0300 0303 300, email gp.health@nhs. net or app.


More urgent dental care needed


DENTISTS could help ease pressures on accident and emergency departments if more in-hours urgent care slots were commissioned, according to the British Dental Association. The BDA estimates that around


135,000 dental patients attend A&E per year at an annual cost of nearly £18 million. The majority of visits (95,000) are for toothache, costing the health service £12.5 million, while a further 600,000 patients a year seek treatment from GPs. Neither are best equipped to treat dental pain. By commissioning more in-hours urgent


care slots, the BDA argues this would help NHS 111 by giving a clear indication as to which dental practices have the availability and capacity to treat patients in need. Chair of the BDA's General Dental Practice Committee, Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen, said: “We believe dentists could ease the burden [on NHS hospital and GP services] if more slots were commissioned for in-hours urgent care. This would ease the frustration for patients who cannot get the care they need from seeing their GP or going to the A&E.”


Practices playing music “must buy a licence”


DOCTORS and dentists who play the radio or other forms of music in their practice must buy a licence or risk legal action. A recent media report suggested dental


6 / MDDUS INSIGHT / Q1 2017


Revalidation needs greater clarity


A REVIEW of medical revalidation urges greater clarity in required supporting information, as well as re-doubled efforts to reduce workload and duplication for doctors also engaged with the CQC and other regulatory bodies. The review into the operation and impact


surgeries may be paying “unwarranted” fees to collection agencies PRS for Music and PPL to listen to music in waiting areas or consulting rooms. The article cited a decision made by the European Court of Justice in 2012 (Società Consortile Fonografici v Marco Del Corso) which found that broadcasting music within private dental practices in Italy did not require the purchase of a licence. But a PRS for Music spokeswoman has confirmed that the ruling “concerns specific types of rights and remuneration which are not relevant in UK law or to PRS for Music”. She said: “The law in the UK clearly


provides that the performance and playing in public of works, sound recordings, films or broadcasts, is an act restricted by copyright and exercisable only with the consent of the copyright owner. Therefore, PRS for Music has the right to license businesses who use PRS members’ musical works in this way.” A PRS licence for a practice waiting room, she added, costs from £84.13 a year. Practices may also require a PPL licence. Find out more at www.prsformusic.com and www.ppluk.com


of revalidation throughout 2016 was carried out by Sir Keith Pearson, independent chair of the Revalidation Advisory Board. This involved gathering practical feedback from a wide range of individuals and organisations involved in the process, as well as analysing the findings of research into revalidation since its implementation. Overall the report is positive. In his


executive summary, Sir Keith states: "Revalidation is still a new process; it is important that we learn from the first cycle to make it more effective in the next. I do not believe major overhaul is needed." Among key recommendations in the


report he calls for updated guidance on the supporting information required in appraisal for revalidation to make clear what is mandatory (and why), what is sufficient, and where flexibility exists. He believes the system needs to be more robust for doctors who work outside mainstream clinical practice and those who move around the system, such as locums. Sir Keith also calls for the GMC to continue working with the CQC and NHS England to reduce workload and duplication for doctors, and to address similar issues


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