The National Health Service (General Dental Services) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2003

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (General Dental Services) (Scotland) Regulations 1996 (“the 1996 Regulations”), which make arrangements under which dentists provide general dental services as part of the Scottish Health Service.

Regulation 2(2) amends regulation 2 of the 1996 Regulations to insert a revised definition of “salaried dentist”. This is required in order to recognise, in the regulations, that salaried dentists work from mobile facilities as well as from health centres and hospitals.

Regulation 2(3) amends regulation 12 of the 1996 Regulations which specifies the age (currently 65) upon which a Health Board or primary care NHS trust must remove a dentist from its dental list. The amendment increases the age specified to 70 years.

Regulation 2(4) amends the Table set out in regulation 22 of the 1996 Regulations to add a new matter, namely “practice allowances”, to the list of matters on which Scottish Ministers shall make provision in a determination published in the Statement of Dental Remuneration. This, together with the amendment to regulation 23 of the 1996 Regulations made by regulation 2(5), will enable allowances to be paid to dentists by the Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service, one to recognise the increasing practice requirements in relation to the provision of high quality premises and the other for those who offer conscious sedation treatments.

Regulation 2(5) amends regulation 23 of the 1996 Regulations which requires the Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service to make payments to dentists in accordance with determinations contained in the Statement of Dental Remuneration. It includes the new determination in respect of “practice allowances”. It also inserts a reference in regulation 23 to Determinations XI, XII and XIII which should have been included in it in earlier regulations.