About this dental bulletin
The South West Collaborative Commissioning Hub (CCH) and NHS England are using this monthly bulletin as their main method of communication with NHS Primary Care Dental practices/providers in the South West region. It is also sent to Secondary Care & Community Dental Service contractors and other dental stakeholders for information. Special Bulletins may be issued between editions for urgent communications.
Bulletins are intended to be read by dental contract owners, practice managers, dentists, and any key staff within practices, so please read and cascade. Copies of previous editions of the dental bulletin, referral forms, and links to helpful websites and resources can be found on our website https://www.england.nhs.uk/south/info-professional/dental. If you have any questions or wish to provide feedback, please contact england.swdental@nhs.net.
The South West region consists of the following Integrated Care Systems (ICS)
- Bath & North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire
- Gloucestershire
- Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire
- Somerset
- Devon
- Dorset
- Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly
The team can be contacted by email england.swdental@nhs.net or telephone 01138253039 or
011382 51518.
Contents
- Updates from General Dentistry, Primary Care and other bodies
- Bursary Funding Available for Postgraduate Programmes at Bristol Dental School
- KO41b Written Complaints in Primary Care Data Collection 2024-25
- Guidance for Common Queries
- Dental Referrals
- Submitting an IFR Application
- NHS Business Services Authority Dental Services – Knowledge Base
- NHS Mail
- National Performers List
- Adding / Removing Performers and Changes to NPE/NPEE
Updates from General Dentistry, Primary Care and other bodies
Bursary Funding Available for Postgraduate Programmes at Bristol Dental School
NHS Bursary funding for specific postgraduate programmes at Bristol Dental School, is available for NHS practitioners working in the South West and has been up to £5,000. You can find out more about the bursary scheme here.
University of Bristol Dental School offer a range of hands-on clinical postgraduate courses, including:
- MSc Dental Implantology
- MSc Periodontology*
- PGCert Clinical Oral Surgery*
- PGCert Clinical Conscious Sedation*
- PGDip in Orthodontic Therapy
*NHS Bursary funding available
To find out more about these programmes please click on the following link: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/campaigns/advance-your-dental-career/
Guidance for Common Queries
Please check the full list of useful links for dental professionals on our website at https://www.england.nhs.uk/south/info-professional/dental/dcis/links/
Dental Referrals
Please ensure that Dental Referrals are sent to the correct address (NOT england.swdental@nhs.net). Please click on the following link that will direct you to the Dental Referral Guidance and Forms:
NHS England — South West » Dental referral guidance and forms
Queries for Somerset Referrals can be made by emailing the following address:
Submitting an IFR Application
Applications for IFR referrals should be made via the South West Dental Generic email account at england.swdental@nhs.net except for applicants that live in Dorset. These should be submitted by their GDPs and uploaded to Vantage Rego (otherwise known as ‘Rego’ or ‘Dorset Rego’).
Please ensure that when an IFR application is submitted, the following documentation accompanies the application. Failure to provide supporting documentation will result in a delay in processing the application.
- Radiographs
- Clinical Photographs
- Study Models (if available)
NHS Business Services Authority Dental Services – Knowledge Base
Many of the queries that we receive from providers, such as assistance with Compass, e.g. adding/removing performers or changing NPE values, can be resolved by accessing the NHS BSA Knowledge Base.
Compass guidance and video tutorials are also available by clicking here. Please use these resources in the first instance. For specific queries on processing, e.g., ARR process, FP17 processing, or pensions contact NHS Dental Services on 0300 330 1348 or via email: nhsbsa.dentalservices@nhsbsa.nhs.uk. Get BSA tips and news via Twitter @NHSDental.
NHS Mail
NHS email is the designated secure method to communicate confidential and business critical information. All practices should hold a shared nhs.net mail account and can be set up via the NHS email portal https://portal.nhs.net/Registration#/dentistry.
Accounts must be accessed regularly to avoid being suspended – if you need support with your NHS mail account contact the NHS email support team via https://support.nhs.net/ email dentistadmin@nhs.net or call 0333 200 1133.
If you have recently changed your email or contact details we may hold, please notify england.swdental@nhs.net quoting your contract number and the new details.
National Performers List
Primary Care Support England (PCSE) manages the performers list on behalf of NHS England. If you require any further information on the Performers List Policies and Procedures, please click on the following link:
Please ensure all changes to name, address, status or practice, are notified to PCSE by completing an NPL3 change notification form. This is in addition to any contract changes required on Compass for new starters/leavers.
Adding / Removing Performers and Changes to NPE/NPEE
As you will be aware, providers have the facility to add, remove or update the NPE/NPEE for the performers on their contract via Compass. Once amendments have been made on Compass, the contract allocation form (CAF) must be completed in full and returned to the regional office to enable the changes to be approved before the monthly scheduled cut-off on Compass. The CAF must be submitted within seven (7) days of the changes being made. If the CAF is not received so that changes can be authorised, this may mean performers are working but not included on the contract and FP17 claims will be automatically rejected by the BSA. If the changes relate to NPE/NPEE it is important that these are actioned as soon as possible to avoid financial implications as part of the Annual Reconciliation Report process. It should be noted that any changes pending authorisation on Compass are automatically deleted by the system after a period of time.
Once completed the CAF should be emailed to england.swdental@nhs.net
Please note if you are adding a new performer to your contract and they have conditions, this must be indicated on the CAF.
Compass guidance and tutorials on adding and removing performers are available on the BSA website – please access the following link for the BSA ‘how to’ guide.
If you have recently closed your contract or are a private practice, please reply to this email with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject and we can amend our distribution list. Thank you.