Race against time to deliver Covid-19 training modules
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- Published: Tuesday, 12 May 2020 15:42
- Written by News Editor
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Hundreds of dentists and dental care professionals have signed up to a brand new training resource to support dental teams in England going to work in Urgent Dental Care (UDC) centres. A group of dental professionals working in all sectors of dentistry combined their skills and knowledge to create the training which is now available on the ProDentalCPD platform.
Due to standard Aerosol Generating Procedures (AGP), the dental profession is among the most vulnerable of all healthcare groups but, as UDCs start to go live in England, dental teams have been uncertain how to establish what is best practice in both triage and treatment of patients.
Chair of North Yorkshire & Humber Local Dental Network, Simon Hearnshaw, explained how the training modules evolved: “Dental teams need to be aware of protocols that are crucial in providing necessary urgent care that is safe for teams and their patients. It was a matter of thinking outside the box and for the dental profession to provide its own solution to the challenges that lay ahead. We are all in this together, but it was a race against time.“
Dr Hearnshaw contacted Rob Dyas, a Yorkshire-based oral surgeon and founder of ProDentalCPD, who said he “jumped at the chance” to be the training provider. At the time, Dr Dyas said, he was recovering from Covid-19, which he believes he and his dental nurse caught from a patient in the days before lockdown.
Dr Dyas continued: “I just knew we had to come up with interactive and evidence-based video training as the best way to learn. We have worked 12 hour days with our subject matter experts to create an eight-hour training package for the whole dental team. In addition to the online course, users get access to their own secure forum so they can share best practice and interact with colleagues. The group worked across several sectors including Public Health, Health Education and General Practice to develop the training.
“We have also set up a series of live webinars to support our colleagues. This is a living course which will need to change as regulations and guidance changes. We have never been here before. What is best practice today may not be best practice in a few weeks. And Standard Operating Procedures could vary around the country. So this is going to be a training that continues to evolve.”
“I know personally a number of colleagues and friends who have been extremely ill with COVID-19. That and my experience has brought home to him how at risk dental teams are and important it is to protect colleagues working at the frontline.”
Dr Dyas explained that LDCs had been making contributions of £150 towards production costs. “To get this training package out as widely as quickly as possible to support dental teams, we are making it available free of charge at point of access, but are asking all LDC’s, dental organisations and dental corporates to make a small voluntary contribution. All proceeds above basic production costs will be donated to NHS charities.”
For details on how LDC’s and dental organisations can get COVID-19 and UDC course with premium features for free at point of access for their dental teams contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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