Unlike GB, dentists in NI have to source own PPE

Dentists in Northern Ireland are at significant disadvantage compared to their colleagues in GB as only they are required to source their own personal protective equipment (PPE).
By Philip Bradfield
Published 27th Nov 2020, 11:49 BST
A dentist in full PPE gear during the coronavirus pandemic. They report that enhanced PPE such as this is exhausting to wear as it is so restrictive on breathing.A dentist in full PPE gear during the coronavirus pandemic. They report that enhanced PPE such as this is exhausting to wear as it is so restrictive on breathing.
A dentist in full PPE gear during the coronavirus pandemic. They report that enhanced PPE such as this is exhausting to wear as it is so restrictive on breathing.

Richard Graham, chair of the British Dental Association’s Northern Ireland Dental Practice Committee, said they have repeatedly lobbied for a level playing field but without success.

“Dentists in Northern Ireland have to source and pay for all their PPE,” he said. “And with the cost of PPE rising, the level of NHS funding we get for it makes less and less sense.”

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This adds a significant administrative and time burden on NI dentists who are already struggling to cope with pandemic conditions.

However, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health (DOH) said that sourcing PPE centrally for all dentists across NI was fraught with difficulties.

“It is correct that in other parts of the UK PPE is provided centrally by the health service,” she said. “Where this occurs, the overall funding package provided to practitioners is generally at a lower percentage than that in Northern Ireland.

“There is very considerable variation between practitioners on their preferences for PPE in terms of sizes and styles. Providing practitioners with funding to source their own PPE overcomes the problem of practitioners’ personal preferences.

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“It would not be possible to meet the individual needs of each practitioner with centrally sourced PPE. Furthermore, for certain key elements of PPE, for example respirator masks, the procurement arrangements which are currently in place would not be able to accommodate the very significant additional quantities that Northern Ireland’s 1,150 general dental practitioners would require on a weekly basis.

“Lastly, the logistical arrangements involved in distributing PPE to general dental practitioners are complex and expensive.”

Dentists sourcing PPE through normal dental supply chains appears to be working well, but the situation is being kept under review, she added.

Related topics:PPENorthern IrelandDentists