England’s chief dental officer hosts webinar to provide information about COVID-19
Thousands of dental professionals tuned into a webinar hosted by England’s chief dental officer on Friday 3rd April.
Dr Sara Hurley hosted the interactive session alongside Matt Neligan, director of primary care and system transformation. The aim was to provide up-to-date information about how the coronavirus crisis is impacting dental care and to answer questions that have been posed by dentists over the last few weeks.
Speaking to an audience of at-home viewers from Skipton House nurse centre, Dr Hurley was hoping to put minds at ease and provide clarity at what is a tough time for dentists. The webinar started with Dr Hurley thanking dental professionals all over the world for their response to the crisis and the support they had provided for patients and fellow healthcare workers. Dr Hurley also advised those listening to avoid fake news, to act cautiously when digesting information from sites like Twitter and to report any suspicious content to the General Dental Council. Two examples of misinformation found online have already been taken down and passed on to the GDC.
Dr Hurley also spoke about the financial impact of the virus and closures of practices and Mr Neligan provided additional information about packages that will be available. He also added that discussions with the British Dental Association are ongoing and urged dentists to keep an eye out for updates.
The webinar, which was watched by 10,000 people, also covered urgent provision, providing guidelines for those keen to help out with emergency care and details of PPE. Urgent care should only be provided by dentists who have the relevant equipment at a designated emergency dental centre.
The final point was to urge dentists to stay safe and well.
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