Thread by @SuffolkTeeth

🦷 THREAD

When we met with @NHSEastEngland on Monday to voice serious concerns over the inability to access NHS dental treatment in Suffolk, the Commissioners told us that they had invited interested parties to bid for 8 new NHS dental contracts (or 8 ‘Lots’). #SuffolkTeeth

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Note that

(i) the bid is titled ‘General Dental Services (10 Lots) for the East of England Region’

Note that

(ii) the Contract Start Date is 1 July 2022
(iii) the Contract Start Date in 31 March 2030

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Also note that

(iv) there is no Lot 8 - we were told there were 8 Lots
(vi) the notice advertises 10 Lots (see (i)) - there is no Lot 9 or 10

and

(vii) only two of the Lots are in Suffolk - Leiston and Lowestoft

and

(viii) “the maximum UDC rate for each lot is £32.”

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For Leiston and its demographic, we believe that there will be a limited uptake in Private patients - private work subsidises the NHS dental work - so any practice will struggle.

#Dentistry #SuffolkTeeth

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Because the population of Leiston hasn’t been seen by a dentist for a long time, they will need a lot of treatment and the UDA rate will be slow to achieve.

Fact: If a practice doesn’t meet the UDA rate, they have to pay back the NHS - exactly what happened previously.

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The invitation to bid for these Lots requires experienced providers, thus excluding newly qualified dentists who wish to start up their own practice

The contract being offered are time limited - initially for 4 years and 9 months, with possible extensions of up to 3 years.

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Questions:

Q1. Why did the government’s ‘Contracts Finder’ advertise 10 Lots?
Q2. Why did the commissioners inform us that there were 8 Lots?
Q3. How do the new UDC rates for Leiston differ from the two Leiston contracts returned by @Bupadentalcare and @mydentist_uk?

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Q4. Why offer such a short term contract?
Q5. What UDA rate modelling has been used to ensure that contract holders are not set up to fail NHS patients?
Q6. In #Felixstowe, #BuryStEdmunds, #Ipswich and elsewhere, people can’t get dental treatment on the NHS - when will they?

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Q7. Why does the contract offer discriminate against newly qualified dentists?
Q8. Why are contracts being tailored to benefit large corporate providers?
Q9. Do the NHS commissioners believe that the new contracts make for a viable business?

#NHSsuffolk #NHS #NHSdentist

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Q10. What efforts are being made to assess the bids at pace?
Q11. Why do we have to wait until July 2022 for any sign of a new practice?
Q12. How are the NHS commissioners going to ensure local access to NHS treatment for all, and not just for the lucky ones?

#Suffolk

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