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Neel Kothari discusses the implications of blue on blue GDC referrals, and how the very nature of dentistry and its complex regulations can foster them. In recent months there have been several widely reported General Dental Council (GDC) fitness to practise cases that have been instigated by fellow registrants, termed ‘blue on blue’ referrals. With…
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Neel Kothari analyses changing approaches to safeguarding – is dental non-attendance a sign of a child at risk? Over the years, the safeguarding of vulnerable patients has played a significant role in healthcare. It goes without saying that clinicians have a moral obligation to raise concerns as and when they arise. In the main, this…
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In light of the GDC versus Williams case, Neel Kothari argues why the profession needs to properly scrutinise its regulatory obligations. Over the last few months there has been considerable criticism of the General Dental Council (GDC), relating to its Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) and determinations of dishonesty made against its registrants. Much of this…
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Following the High Court’s ruling that charging top-up fees is permitted, Neel Kothari discusses why this is a ‘disaster’ for NHS England and the consequences it will have for the profession. There is no longer any doubt that the NHS contract regulations allow for charging top-up fees to NHS patients, thereby affording them access to…
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Neel Kothari discusses the ‘several issues’ that the General Dental Council (GDC) versus Williams case raised, and questions whether it has become too risky to work within the NHS. By now, you may have heard of the case of General Dental Council (GDC) versus Williams, where Ms Williams appealed and overturned the GDC’s decision to…
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Neel Kothari explains why NHS dentistry needs more than just money if it is to work. Whilst there is no doubt that years of below inflation pay rises has left NHS dentistry in a precarious position, in my opinion the issues extend far beyond funding and cannot be fixed with money alone. Whilst we can…
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Dentist Neel Kothari shares his views on how the cost of living crisis will contribute to the collapse of NHS dentistry. There is no doubt in my mind that the cost of living crisis has the potential to eclipse the chaos of that colloquially known as ‘lockdown one’. Almost all sectors will be impacted by…
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Neel Kothari explores the recruitment issues in dental nursing right now and the factors fuelling the current crisis. Despite the title, let me start off by stating the glaringly obvious. It has perhaps never been a better time to be a dental nurse in the history of dentistry. Hospitals, community services, dental practices and locum…
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Neel Kothari talks about the latest NHS dental targets and why it has meant practices are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Recently NHS England announced that quarter three will be exempt from clawback providing 65% of the contract has been met. In that letter they made it abundantly clear that a condition…
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Neel Kothari discusses gender equality in dentistry and why the dental boards should be based on competency. Recently the BDJ published an opinion piece on gender equality in dentistry entitled: ‘Balancing the dental boards.’ In it the author’s posit: ‘The gender balance on boards is an important issue because any imbalance represents gender inequality and…
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Last month Professor Tim Spector – who runs the ZOE COVID-19 symptom app – said the UK is ‘past the pandemic’. Here Neel Kothari discusses what this might mean for dentistry. We’re now technically in an endemic and the COVID-19 alert level has dropped too. Essentially, we are no longer in a pandemic in its…
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Will NHS dentistry survive the COVID pandemic? Neel Kothari explores whether the contract is worthwhile for dental practices anymore. For over a decade now, we have been told that a new contract is on the horizon. Despite numerous pilots and prototypes, little is known about what this will entail. But one certainty remains: there is…
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Neel Kothari explores the different options of PPE available to practices and the dental team as they look to reopen. Let me start by making a small admission – before lockdown I had almost forgotten the word ‘doffing’. I had also forgotten that using a fast handpiece was regarded as an aerosol generating procedure (AGP). In my opinion, the cross infection…
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Neel Kothari speaks to specialist dental solicitor Sunil Abeyewickreme about the impact of coronavirus on industry employment matters. Sunil held the position of senior legal adviser to the British Dental Association (BDA) between the years of 2004 to 2008. In 2010, he became a partner in a national law firm and was later responsible for…
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Neel Kothari speaks about his concerns regarding the future of private dentistry in the face of COVID-19. Let me start by stating the obvious: every government department is focused on one thing, the country’s fight against coronavirus – and rightly so. This article is in no way a criticism of the excellent work carried out…
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Neel Kothari questions whether teledentistry is taking advantage of the dental profession in the UK. Recently there has been a growth in companies offering orthodontic treatment directly to patients, bypassing the need to see a dentist or an orthodontist. The online marketing from these companies seem to follow a common theme. The patient fills out…
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Is referring for NHS care unnecessarily complicated and problematic, Neel Kothari questions. Over the last few years, I’ve noticed a gradual creep towards referring for NHS care via online platforms. The process varies regionally, but increasingly involves referring for NHS care to a nameless, faceless and often difficult to contact central team instead of a…
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With an environmental crisis on the horizon, is it time our regulators changed too, Neel Kothari asks. The influential economist, John Maynard Keynes, was asked by a journalist why he had changed his mind over the years, to which he reportedly replied: ‘When the facts change, I change my mind, what do you do, sir?’ When…
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Neel Kothari is unconvinced by the CQC’s explanation for its fee rise for the dental sector and suggests industry leaders should challenge it The news that Care Quality Commission (CQC) fees for the dental sector are to rise by 13% has been met with dismay by industry heads, with dental leaders uniting to overwhelmingly condemn…
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