Chamber and committees

As at 23 October 2014, 814 independent dental practices had signed up for the defibrillator scheme, and 29 had chosen not to participate.

Following the opening of a community pharmacy in an area, the NHS board will review whether there are exceptional circumstances, and take a decision on whether the GP practice is required to continue to dispense to some or all of its patients.

There is nothing explicit in the regulations to say that a dispensing GP practice must stop dispensing following the opening of a community pharmacy but the board will need to be satisfied that the criteria set out in the regulations is being met. If a health board makes a decision to remove dispensing rights from a GP practice, there is nothing to prevent a future reversal of that decision by the board provided they can identify a change of circumstances as set out in the regulations.

The Public Dental Service (PDS) was established on 1 January 2014. GP17 forms are submitted to record NHS general dental services activity undertaken by PDS dentists and do not generate any payments to the PDS.

The community dental service and the salaried general dental service merged from 1 January 2014 to become the Public Dental Service (PDS).

The main role of the PDS is to provide NHS general dental services for people, including those with special care needs, who cannot access care from independent high street dentists. The PDS also provides treatment for patients referred by other dentists.

The Public Dental Service (PDS) was established on 1 January 2014. The first full-year patient charge income will not be known until the end of the financial year 2014-15. Patient charge income is offset against the cost of running the PDS.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-22875 on 4 November 2014. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Patients did not register with the community dental service.

The Public Dental Service does not receive continuing care and capitation payments for patients registered under NHS general dental services.

This information is not held centrally.

Guidance on how patients who are moved from an accident and emergency department to another facility is available on the Information Services Division data dictionary:

http://www.ndc.scot.nhs.uk/Dictionary-A-Z/Definitions/index.asp?Search=A&ID=53&Title=Acute Assessment Unit (AAU)&Title2=Acute Medical Unit (AMU)

All patients are subject to the four hour wait standard when they are in the accident and emergency department until they are either discharged, transferred to another hospital or the patient is formally admitted to a bed outwith A&E.