NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2015 Hello Lancashire: as we are now in the hiatus of the summer holiday period there is not much to report as the NHS goes to sleep for six weeks! From an LDC perspective we are still working with NHS England locally to keep the wheels oiled and ensure dialogue continues. You can keep up to speed with the goings on because the minutes from both the Local Dental Network and the LDC / Local Area Team Liaison meetings are posted on the website. Performance issues: do not forget that should you be unfortunate enough to find yourself on the wrong side of a complaint or performance issue your LDC is there to support you through the process. In the first instance it is ESSENTIAL that you inform your defence organisation as soon as possible and follow their advice. In addition to this you can get further support from one of the LDC members. Contact details of the LDC reps are as follows: Central – Andy Cow – andy-edp@tiscali.co.uk Coastal – Bernard Alston – bernard@lancashirecoastalldc.co.uk East – Phil Gale - phillip.gale@btconnect.com If you feel that contacting an LDC rep on your own patch may be uncomfortable for you then remember we are all interchangeable if required to be so. Please feel free to contact any of the above or indeed a local LDC member who you may know well. Contract uplift;: we have the latest from the BDA below; Dear LDC Secretaries, Just to let you know, the amendments to the SFEs are now in force and contract values should be uplifted by 1.34 per cent in August backdated to 1st April 2015. The trainer’s grant and FD salary will be uplifted by 1 per cent backdated and the FD service element remains unchanged. DH officials have notified us that Ministers wish them to look at overall remuneration for DFT training for 2016-17 in the context of delivering best value for the taxpayer. There’s no real detail beyond that, at the moment. Alex Alexandra Cenic Committee Officer Just one more thing: there has been much criticism surrounding the introduction of the Friends and Family Test into NHS Dental Practices. Whilst I understand concerns that it is just another job to do these new innovations do have some benefits – for example – I was working in my office the other day when a fly came into the room. I had to act immediately in order to avoid the blighter spreading all kinds of disease. I looked round searching for something to dispose of the intruder and drew a blank – that was until I saw a paper copy of the Friends and Family Test which I was able to roll up and swat the fly with hence dispatching it to meet its maker and we were all safe – who said the FFT was of no use! And another thing: Morrisons have recently launched an online grocery service to keep up with their opposition and ensure they maintain their place in the market. In order to ensure speedy deliveries Morrisons have taken the unprecedented step of making their delivery vans look like ambulances. Now I would be the first person to say that we should all move over to let an ambulance on very urgent duties pass but I do draw the line at doing this so someone can get their weekly grocery order five minutes sooner. I do not think that Morrisons have gone as far as having blue flashing lights fitted to their vehicles at this point in time but who knows for the future. Onwards and upwards Bernard Bernard Alston Sec Lancs LDC Exec
- BERNARD