Digest News
“Bad apples” and other perpetrators
AN analysis of misconduct among health and care professionals undertaken by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) has found that not all perpetrators are simply “bad apples”. Researchers from Coventry University
examined 6,714 fitness to practise determinations from the PSA database, covering doctors, nurses, social workers, paramedics and others. They identified three different types of perpetrator: the self-serving “bad apple”, the individual who is corrupted by the falling standards of their workplace (“bad barrels”), and the “depleted perpetrator” struggling to cope with the pressures of work and life. Cluster analysis was used to identify
how different kinds of misconduct group together for the different professions, and the researchers also looked in more detail at cases involving sexual boundary violations and dishonesty. The aim is to offer a more nuanced multi-dimensional perspective of wrongdoings and offer recommendations to aid regulators and employers to improve detection of perpetrators and ameliorate the occurrence of these behaviours. PSA Chief Executive Harry Cayton said:
“This research is the most ambitious project yet undertaken to use the information contained in the Authority’s database of fitness to practise determinations. In this report, Professor Searle [lead researcher] offers us a rich and fascinating discussion of the complex and subtle interplay between individual professionals, teams, workplaces, gender and culture.” Access at
www.tinyurl.com/ybr8jfe9
Dental services in England rate highly
A NEW report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has revealed that nearly nine out of 10 dental practices in England inspected by the regulator have complied with all five of its key standards. Out of 1,131 practices inspected in 2016/17, 88 per cent were found to be safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led, and 100 per cent met the tests for being ‘caring’ and ‘responsive’ to their patients’ needs and preferences. Community dental services faired particularly well, with 88 per cent achieving ratings of good or outstanding. These findings emerged from the CQC’s
annual State of Care report. The CQC has been collecting data on primary healthcare services since 2011 and inspects around 10 per cent of dental practices each year.
6 / MDDUS INSIGHT / Q4 2017
Longer GP opening hours does not reduce A&E visits
THERE is “no direct correlation” between longer GP opening hours and patient attendance at A&E, according to a new study. Statistics show that in one area where three out of four practices provide extended hours commissioned by NHS England (known as DES), the A&E service is “red rated” for high attendances. In contrast, another area where practices do not provide any additional hours above the core contract has low A&E attendances. The figures emerged in a report published by two Nottingham clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), Mansfield and Ashfield CCG, and Newark and Sherwood CCG. They evaluated the effects of extended GP access schemes on A&E attendances for practices in their areas between August 2016 and July 2017. Their results suggested there was “no direct correlation” between GP opening hours and A&E attendance and that geography was a more significant factor in influencing patients’ decisions about which healthcare service to access. The findings come as NHS England hopes to reduce A&E visits by encouraging more GP
practices to provide extended hours. The CCGs’ report recommends greater promotion of extended hours services and says these must be easily accessible for “hard to reach” groups.
Mick Armstrong, Chair of the BDA, said: “The
latest CQC report represents another ringing endorsement for good practice in our profession, in spite of the huge challenges we face".
Support for enhanced dental CPD
A SERIES of guidance documents and templates for dental professionals in support of enhanced continuing professional development (ECPD) has been published on the GDC website.
ECPD is being launched next year by the GDC as the “first step in a longer-term reform to move to a system based on quality of CPD activity rather than quantity”. It will include the introduction of a personal development plan (PDP) for each member of the dental team to support their CPD, with corresponding learning outcomes. The changes will take place in January 2018 for dentists and August 2018 for dental care professionals.
Among the new support materials being
made available on the GDC website are ECPD guidance for professionals and CPD providers, and PDP and activity log templates with examples.
A new enhanced dental CPD guidance
sheet from the MDDUS Risk Education team also offers a useful overview of the key points to consider. Go to Training & CPD at
www.mddus.com (member login required).
Male dentists “over- represented” in FtP cases
AN analysis of GDC data has found that male dental professionals were more likely to have been involved in fitness to practise (FtP) cases than their female colleagues, as were older (over 30) registrants. These are just two findings from the first
in-depth analysis of fitness to practise data commissioned by the GDC and carried out in 2016 by Plymouth University Peninsula, Schools
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