Under the 2006 new contract arrangements all practices must have in place a quality assurance system, and when the transfer to the new system took place the PCT ensured that all practices had funds within their contract value to continue the Clinical Audit and Peer Review activity which has been part of the previous contract arrangements.
This was that each dentist should undertake 15 hours of clinical audit or peer review over a three year cycle. The PCT is aware that practitioners have been undertaking a variety of clinical audit activities and will be asking practices to provide evidence of this activity in April 2012 (the end of the second cycle).
As you are aware, registration with the CQC also requires that a health care provider delivering dental care can demonstrate that they have in place appropriate quality assurance systems.
In order to help each practitioner provide evidence of this activity, the PCT - working in collaboration with the Northern Deanery and the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) Northern Division (FGDP) – have developed a support package to enable the successful completion of a quality audit project on the topic of Clinical Record-Keeping.
Three facilitated meetings will support you as follows:
1) An initial meeting to discuss the process of audit and how to conduct an audit in Clinical Record-Keeping. You will be given help with the design of your audit and provided with an audit tool including data collection sheets. At this meeting all participants will be given a copy of the Faculty publication ‘Clinical Examination & Record-Keeping’ from the Northern Deanery;
2) An interim meeting to assess initial results, plan the second audit cycle and how to write up the report;
3) A final meeting to discuss the audit findings, complete final evaluations and prepare reports for submission to the PCT to complete the process.
These meetings will take place in the evening and refreshments will be provided. Audit facilitators will also be available throughout the period of the audit for assistance with the project. At the end of the project the final reports will be reviewed by the Faculty and advice given regarding the quality of the audit before submission to the PCT.
Practices are encouraged to undertake the project as a collaborative practice based audit. However each dentist will be expected to contribute to the final report to identify the individual changes implemented in their clinical practice. The audit will be carried out over a five month period from the date of the first meeting.
The cost for this package is £70 per practitioner (this includes all materials, refreshments, course speakers, marking of the audit and feedback) and provides the support from the PCT, Northern Deanery and FGDP, local facilitator support and the Clinical Record-Keeping Faculty publication.
Participation in the programme will allow each participant to record 15 hours of verifiable CPD on completion.
If you wish to take part in the audit please apply online via the Northern Deanery’s course booking system by booking and paying for your relevant PCT area and associated set of meeting dates. Please note you will need to register on the booking system - if not already registered - prior to confirming your booking and payment. Full instructions on how to register on the Northern Deanery database can be obtained on www.northerndeanery.org or if you prefer a direct link to the course booking system the link now follows, https://secure.intrepidonline.co.uk/CourseManager/NEW/sys_Pages/Common/Login.aspx
Please note that participation in this project is optional and this project is designed to assist performers to comply with their audit contractual requirements.