Well, the new Coalition government has been in power for less than six months and I am sick of their attitude already.
I have just returned from a meeting of dental types, concerning the new Care Quality Commission (CQC) This is a NEW QUANGO (remember? We were to have a "bonfire of the QUANGOs" I was told), started off by New Labour to oversee amongst other things, dentistry.
Now this is strange, because we already have: PCTs, HSE, GDC, and English law doing this. But no, more paperpushing for the unemployable masses must be laid on. So yet ANOTHER body with substantial powers to shut me down should I not agree with the Politically Correct twaddle they peddle. And there are no employees there there who have ANY dental training. So they don`t know what they`re talking about.
And WORSE, this government has seen fit to increase it`s remit and powers substantially in a new White Paper.
So I shall have to apply, and soon, to join this merry band, and have an extended CRB check done on me. And eventually all my staff too. The application form is either 42 or 90 pages long - no one really knows. And no one knows how much it will cost me every year to pay these goons for poking their powerful noses into my business. Rumour control says it may cost anything up yo £5600 to join.
Morale in dentistry in the UK is very low amongst practice owners. Associates don`t give a damn. Why should they? They don`t have to do any of it or pay for it.
I am very glad that neither of my children are going into the so-called health care "professions"".
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Thursday, 9 September 2010
The Nice Lady from the Dental Buying Group (a company who sell a variety of useful and well-presented services to us) came to see us a couple of weeks ago and gave us out annual cross infection training. One item mentioned was, that not only is the package of newly sterilised instruments to be date stamped 21 days hence (or 60 if a vacuum steriliser) BUT ALSO the nurse must initial the package, AND put another date stamp on said package with that day`s date on it - ie when packaged.
So, TWO dates (say, todays and 21 days hence) AND an initial.
I cannot see anything in the tortuous cross infection regs about this at all. It`s a stupid "regulation" if it exists, proving nothing. My staff are all doing it because they are worried rigid about being sued. Logic has gone clean out of the window with all this stuff. I have told them to stop it as it`s silly. I suspect there are other near mutinies in other practices now too.
Having pulled HTM to bits I could find no recommendation or rule which supports this. Denplan also know only of ONE date stamp to apply.
I emailed DBG with a "Complaint" and within 30 minutes a lady `phoned us up. It is NOT a ruling (and neither is the whole of HTM 01-05 a LAW or ACT but a huge RECOMMENDATION for which your hind will be tanned if you ignore any of it), but a "idea" for some practices who are, IMHO, so disorganised that their nurses don`t know whether to stamp today`s date or 21/60 days hence date. She said that some inspectors have picked up an "out of date" pack to be told by the nurses that "that`s the date they were sterilised". Some other nurses IN THE SAME PRACTICE think "that`s the use-by date".
Yeesh.
The way it was presented at the DBG training was as a thoroughgoing solid new rule, and my staff picked it up as just that. And started doing it without any prompting from me beasue they are way ahead of the curve.
DBG were very apologetic and said they would ensure that their trainers mentioned this as a possible aid to, er, well, stupidity I guess, rather than something to be slavishly followed.
It may well only take another few seconds to date stamp twice and initial EVERY PACK YOU USE, but all this time adds up, and takes my staff away from TREATING THE PATIENTS.
So there, that`s another falacy blown up. And the problem is dear reader, there is so much regulation and obfuscation from varying "authorities" that I now spend a part of each week trying to unpick it. Alexander the Great had the best idea. Draw your sword and cut through the whole lot of it.
So, TWO dates (say, todays and 21 days hence) AND an initial.
I cannot see anything in the tortuous cross infection regs about this at all. It`s a stupid "regulation" if it exists, proving nothing. My staff are all doing it because they are worried rigid about being sued. Logic has gone clean out of the window with all this stuff. I have told them to stop it as it`s silly. I suspect there are other near mutinies in other practices now too.
Having pulled HTM to bits I could find no recommendation or rule which supports this. Denplan also know only of ONE date stamp to apply.
I emailed DBG with a "Complaint" and within 30 minutes a lady `phoned us up. It is NOT a ruling (and neither is the whole of HTM 01-05 a LAW or ACT but a huge RECOMMENDATION for which your hind will be tanned if you ignore any of it), but a "idea" for some practices who are, IMHO, so disorganised that their nurses don`t know whether to stamp today`s date or 21/60 days hence date. She said that some inspectors have picked up an "out of date" pack to be told by the nurses that "that`s the date they were sterilised". Some other nurses IN THE SAME PRACTICE think "that`s the use-by date".
Yeesh.
The way it was presented at the DBG training was as a thoroughgoing solid new rule, and my staff picked it up as just that. And started doing it without any prompting from me beasue they are way ahead of the curve.
DBG were very apologetic and said they would ensure that their trainers mentioned this as a possible aid to, er, well, stupidity I guess, rather than something to be slavishly followed.
It may well only take another few seconds to date stamp twice and initial EVERY PACK YOU USE, but all this time adds up, and takes my staff away from TREATING THE PATIENTS.
So there, that`s another falacy blown up. And the problem is dear reader, there is so much regulation and obfuscation from varying "authorities" that I now spend a part of each week trying to unpick it. Alexander the Great had the best idea. Draw your sword and cut through the whole lot of it.
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
First post (last post?)
Well I`ve finally had enough. Seeing my practice manager flogging herself over a load of stupid "Child Protection" documents that the PCT (Primary "Care" Trust) has sent us and being genuinely worried about losing her job if she doesn`t do it has forced me to become even MORE vocal than before.
Why can`t the PCT just send us a flowchart with ALL the names and `phone numbers needed on that, instead of making every overworked general dental practice in the town do it themselves? Damned office types.
So in this blog you`ll get to read of all the new stuff that comes into the practice, which might mean you like coming here more, AND you`ll get to read about all the RUBBISH from HMG we have to wade through which will make NONE of us any wiser, safer, better looked after, or richer. And believe me there is a SEA of junk floating around, all of which must be completed by yesterday to enable me just to continue practicing.
Stick around and be horrified. Then write to your MP for me.
Why can`t the PCT just send us a flowchart with ALL the names and `phone numbers needed on that, instead of making every overworked general dental practice in the town do it themselves? Damned office types.
So in this blog you`ll get to read of all the new stuff that comes into the practice, which might mean you like coming here more, AND you`ll get to read about all the RUBBISH from HMG we have to wade through which will make NONE of us any wiser, safer, better looked after, or richer. And believe me there is a SEA of junk floating around, all of which must be completed by yesterday to enable me just to continue practicing.
Stick around and be horrified. Then write to your MP for me.
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