www.mddus.com LAUNCH OF NEW DUTY OF CANDOUR


DATA OPT-OUT FOR PATIENTS


IN ENGLAND THE “national data opt-out” has been launched in England allowing patients to refuse to have their confidential information used for research or planning purposes. The move is in line with recommendations


from National Data Guardian Dame Fiona Caldicott’s Review of data security, consent and opt-outs. Under the new rules, patients can opt out online using their NHS number, or by other means including a printable form and telephone service. Previously, opt-out requests were managed by GPs. Those who do not wish to opt out do not need to take any action. The new system will have a phased


introduction before going fully operational in October 2018. More information is available at www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters.


PROVISIONS IN SCOTLAND NEW duty of candour provisions in Scotland came into effect on 1 April. The provisions, as defined in the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) (Scotland) Bill,


set out a range of things that must happen when there has been an unexpected event or incident resulting in death or harm during health or social care. Principles of candour exist in many organisations and within professional codes of conduct but the act introduces a statutory organisational duty of candour on health and social care services in Scotland. The Scottish Government has produced a guide on the new provisions as well as three factsheets at: tinyurl.com/ya7tm8xn


NO DPO EXEMPTION FOR


NEW MANDATORY DATA SECURITY


TOOLKIT A NEW Data Security and Protection Toolkit has been launched by NHS Digital which all organisations in England with access to NHS patient data and systems must complete to help keep patient information safe. The new toolkit replaces the previous


Information Governance Toolkit and is an online self-assessment tool that enables health and social care organisations to measure and publish their performance against the National Data Guardian’s 10 data security standards and key elements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Organisations which provide health services or


connect to national systems will be required to complete the toolkit annually to provide assurances that they are practising good data security and that personal information is handled correctly. Access it on the NHS Digital website: tinyurl.


com/ybkugylx


DENTAL PRACTICES THERE will be no exemption for dental practices in the requirement for all UK primary care providers to have a dedicated data protection officer (DPO). Government ministers rejected suggested amendments tabled by the Liberal Democrats following representations and lobbying by the BDA and other professional organisations when the Data Protection Bill was debated in Parliament on 9 May. The new General Data Protection


Regulation (GDPR) did not require dental practices to have a DPO, but the UK Government put this duty on NHS primary care providers by including them in its definition of “public authorities”. The suggested amendments would have


exempted dentists and other high street primary care providers from what the BDA calls a “huge and needless burden”. DPOs should have been in place since


24 May 2018.


DENTAL PHOBIA LINKED TO


SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS HIGH dental anxiety is significantly associated with a lower health-related quality of life (HRQL) among adults, according to a study in the International Dental Journal. A random selection of adults were interviewed and completed a questionnaire concerning


dental anxiety and several socioeconomic variables. Adults with dental phobia were almost twice as likely to be on a lower income. The study


also found that dental anxiety can heavily impact patients both psychologically and socially, leading to feelings such as shame, poor self-confidence and social isolation. The results showed that patients who fear the dentist were twice as likely to suffer from poor oral health. The Oral Health Foundation (OHF) says more than 10 million UK adults have some level of dental anxiety, with an estimated six million suffering from dental phobia.


OHF CEO Dr Nigel Carter said anxiety was a key


reason why people avoided the dentist, adding: “With modern techniques, all dental treatment is now virtually painless. There really is no need to fear a visit to the dentist.”


INEQUALITY GAP IN CHILD TOOTH DECAY


NEW data in England has revealed an almost 10-fold difference between some local authorities in the prevalence of child tooth decay. The latest Child Oral Health Survey from Public Health England did


find improvements in overall tooth decay levels but also wide regional inequalities, with 5.1 per cent of young children in Waverley in Surrey presenting with decay compared to 49.4 per cent in Pendle in Lancashire. Five-year-olds in Pendle have on average 2.3 decayed, missing or filled teeth compared to just 0.1 for those in Waverley. Dental advocates including the BDA have expressed concern that authorities in England have failed to follow the lead set by devolved governments to bring supervised brushing to schools and nurseries.


They cite the Childsmile (Scotland) and Designed to Smile (Wales) programmes which use targeted interventions and have had success in reducing NHS treatment costs. The BDA points out that tooth decay is the number one reason for child hospital admissions in England. Each day 170 children and teenagers in England undergo tooth extractions under general anaesthesia in hospitals in England at a cost of £36 million per year. The number of operations has increased by 17 per cent since 2012. The BDA advocates a coherent and appropriately funded strategy to bridge the inequalities gap and urges greater effort from both local and national government.


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