The National Health Service (General Dental Services) Amendment Regulations 2000

Amendment of Schedule 1

5.—(1) Schedule 1 (terms of service for dentists) is amended as follows.

(2) In paragraph 25 (records)—

(a) in sub-paragraph (1)—

(i) before “record” the first time it appears, insert “full, accurate and contemporaneous”, and

(ii) after “any practice record form” insert “or form recording recalled attendance in accordance with paragraph 27B”;

(b) in sub-paragraph (2) after “records,” insert “forms,”;

(c) for sub-paragraph (3) substitute—

“(3) The dentist shall, during the period in which he holds any records, forms, radiographs, photographs and study models referred to in sub-paragraph (1)—

(i) produce them on request to a dental officer, the Health Authority or the Secretary of State, or

(ii) send them to the Board, Health Authority or the Secretary of State within 14 days of being required to do so by one of those persons.”; and

(d) in sub-paragraph (4), after “other than the practice record form” insert “and the form recording recalled attendance in accordance with paragraph 27B”.

(3) After paragraph 27 insert—

“Completion of claim forms

27A.— (1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), where a person declares that he or a person for whom he is responsible does not have to pay the charges prescribed by the National Health Service (Dental Charges) Regulations 1989(1) by virtue of either—

(a) entitlement to exemption under sub-paragraph (4) of paragraph (2) or sub-paragraph (4) of paragraph (3) of Schedule 12 to the Act; or

(b) entitlement to remission of such charges under regulation 3 or 5 of the National Health Service (Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges) Regulations 1988(2), the dentist shall ask that person to produce to him satisfactory evidence in support of that declaration and where that person does not produce such evidence the dentist shall record that fact in his form claiming remuneration for the treatment of that person or the person for whom that person is responsible.

(2) Where, at the time of the declaration there is already available to the dentist satisfactory evidence of an entitlement to exemption from the charges on the grounds that the person in respect of whom the declaration is made is under 18 years of age, the obligations on the dentist specified in sub-paragraph (1) shall not apply.

(3) The dentist may appoint a member of his staff to undertake the task set out in sub-paragraph (1) on his behalf, and where he does so he shall ensure that that staff member is given sufficient instruction to enable him to perform that task.

Recalled attendance

27B.   Where a dentist is recalled to his practice premises at a time when he does not normally provide general dental services in order to provide treatment in an emergency he shall, on each occasion he does so, at the time of that recalled attendance—

(a) complete a form supplied by the Health Authority for the purpose of supporting his claim to an allowance for that recalled attendance; and

(b) obtain the signature on that form of the patient whom he has been recalled to treat, or of a person acting on behalf of that patient.”.

(4) After paragraph 37 insert—

“37A.   Where care and treatment is given by an assistant, the dentist or assistant shall complete a claim for remuneration in respect of that care and treatment which—

(a) is separate from any claim form in respect of care and treatment given by the dentist personally; and

(b) identifies the assistant by whom the care and treatment was given and his status as an assistant.”.

(1)

S.I. 1989/394, amended by S.I. 1992/369, 1993/419, 1994/530, 1995/444, 1996/389, 1997/558, 1998/490 and 2221, 1999/544 and 2000/596.

(2)

S.I. 1988/551, amended by S.I. 1989/394, 517, and 614, 1990/548, 918 and 1661, 1991/557, 1993/1104, 1993/608, 1995/642 and 2352, 1996/410, 1346 and 2362, 1997/748 and 2393, 1998/2417, 1999/767 and 2507 and 2000/621.