# General Dental Services Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993, Note: Explanatory note


(This note is not part of the Regulations.)
These regulations provide for the arrangements under which general dental services are provided under Part VI of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972 (“the Order”). They supersede the Health and Personal Social Services (General Dental Services) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1975 (“the 1975 Regulations”).
The provisions made by these regulations differ from those made in the 1975 regulations in a number of respects.
The Central Services Agency shall prepare, from information supplied by the Health and Social Services Boards, each year, an updated list (' 'the dental list") of dentists providing general dental services (regulation 4(8)). Boards are to determine applications for inclusion in the dental list within 14 days, unless the dentist's proposed practice premises are to be inspected by the Board, in which case the application is to be determined within 14 days of such inspection (regulation 5(2)). Regulation 7(2) prevents the inclusion of a dentist's name in the dental list if the Board is not satisfied, following an inspection, that his proposed practice premises are of a satisfactory standard. A Board may remove a dentist's name from the dental list on the grounds that he has not for the preceding 6 months provided general dental services, but in the calculation of that period any absence because of the dentist's service in the armed forces or maternity leave or sickness is to be disregarded (regulation 8(5)). Provision is made for Boards to make arrangements with dentists to provide general dental services in urgent cases at times when general dental services are not normally available (regulation 14).
Boards are required to prepare patient information leaflets (“Board patient information leaflets”) about the provision of general dental services by salaried dentists at any health premises in their areas (regulation 16 and Schedule 7). Regulation 21 establishes a right of appeal to the Department in circumstances where a dentist is dissatisfied with a decision of the Central Services Agency with regard to fees payable to him. The Regulations provide for payments to dentists during periods where their registration is suspended under the Dentists Act 1984 (by an interim suspension order or a direction of the Health Committee) and specifies the amounts payable to them (regulation 27). Regulation 33 introduces revised procedures for handling appeals against decisions of the Dental Committee. Provision is also made for the Central Services Agency or a Board to conduct or commission surveys or other research relating to the provision of general dental services (regulation 34).
The terms of service under which dentists provide general dental services to their patients are set out in Schedule 2. The principal changes to these terms of service are as follows.
The provision relating to the mixing of general dental services and private care and treatment is extended to salaried dentists (paragraph 16). Paragraph 21 imposes special obligations on dentists in connection with the administration of sedation. Provision is also made regarding dental records, which must be retained for a period of 2 years but may be kept on computer (paragraph 25). A dentist must allow the Board to inspect his practice premises provided that he has been given reasonable notice of its intention to do so (paragraph 33).
Other provisions of these regulations (including the terms of service) differ from those of the 1975 Regulations in minor respects, or in consequence of other changes which are mentioned above.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/1993/326/note (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/general-dental-services-regulations-northern-ireland-1993/note
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.