The Probe - Proudly serving the dental profession for over 60 years

Smile Nov/Dec 18 – Five tips on complaints handling GDC Development Outcome A

Course Dates: 13th December 2018 - 13th December 2020
Enrollment Dates: Enroll Anytime
Who can Enroll: Anyone
Course Language: English
Price: FREE

About the Course

To understand the risk assessment in practice needed to protect staff and patients from improper expose to radiation
Demonstrate a knowledge regarding the principles of the Quality Assurance
To be able to stay compliant with laws and regulation dictating the use of radiography in practice

Course Structure

Instructors

The Probe

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    Examining what the Chancellor’s Summer Statement 2020 means for dentistry

    Course Dates: Open-ended
    Enrollment Dates: Enroll Anytime
    Who can Enroll:
    Price: FREE

    About the Course

    Michael Lansdell is a founding partner at specialist dental and medical accountants Lansdell & Rose and a chartered accountant. Here, he discusses the main points from the Chancellor’s Summer Statement delivered on 8 July, which outlined new measures to support business and workers.

    Rishi Sunak’s Spring Budget was on 11 March, just two weeks before large parts of the economy were shut down completely. Now, four months later, your practice may have reopened and hopefully you are feeling positive, proactive, and prepared for whatever might come your way. Here’s a brief guide to the Summer Statement and which of the interventions could be of particular interest to practice owners and dental professionals.

    Furloughed workers

    If you are a dental practice owner who has furloughed staff, you will probably already know that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) is being phased down starting from August, when more of the cost of furloughing will be passed onto the employer. The CJRS has already been extended twice, but the Chancellor confirmed he still intends for it to finish in October, as planned.

    What is new is a Job Retention Bonus in the form of a one-off £1,000 payment, for every employee you bring back and who remains continuously employed until the end of January 2021 (you’ll get your bonus from February onwards). Any furloughed individual you return to work must earn more than £520 a month, on average between the end of the CJRS and the 31 January.

    Work placements, trainees, and apprentices

    There are to be new payment bonuses attached to employers who offer the above, which could all certainly be of interest to practice owners and enrich your workplace for a multitude of reasons. First is the Kickstart Scheme, which aims to provide new, six-month, quality work placements for young people aged 16-24. Government funding for each job will cover employers’ costs, including 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, plus employer NICs and minimum automatic enrolment contributions.

    There will also be bonuses for employers who offer traineeships/work placements for 16-24-year olds and for those who hire new apprentices – for every new apprenticeship, you could receive up to £2,000.

    A Stamp Duty showstopper

    This announcement was the headline grabber; the UK housing market had – unsurprisingly – ground to a near-halt in the first half of the year. So, as had been widely expected, from 8 July – 31 March 2021, there is to be a temporary cut on Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) on residential property in England and Northern Ireland, increasing the zero-rate band to £500,000 with all bands being revised. For additional properties, or corporate residential properties of over £40,000 though, you’ll still need to add 3% to the relevant SDLT rates.

    To sum up…

    Generally, we’re all now wanting to regain lost ground from lockdown and, of course, the current picture will also look different from wherever you are in the UK. We might feel that we’re facing the great unknown, but although things might “seem” different, a successful business is always one that has been built on sensible and solid practises, protocols and processes, and is able to adapt and respond intelligently to changing and challenging circumstances.

    What I do know is that at Lansdell & Rose, our dental clients are very happy to be back at work! We offer a full portfolio of accountancy services and will also give you specialist, quality advice with business support and planning for now and the future.

    From the very start of the pandemic, those who adopted a confident and decisive approach have stood out from the rest and this is what every dental practice owner and dental professional who wants to gain the maximum benefit from their business and optimise their personal finance, should be aiming to achieve.

    For more information please visit www.lansdellrose.co.uk.

    The first steps to economic recovery?

    Course Dates: Open-ended
    Enrollment Dates: Enroll Anytime
    Who can Enroll:
    Price: FREE

    About the Course

    The 2020 summer statement announced by Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, was designed primarily to help the UK population recover from the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic. It was largely focused on preventing and tackling unemployment by attempting to enhance the financial environment for businesses and encourage them to retain and take on new staff. Acknowledging that these were only the first steps in an evolving path to recovery, Sunak commented: “…Although hardship lies ahead, no one will be left without hope… Our plan has a clear goal – to protect, support and create jobs”.

    Furlough scheme update

    About the novel furlough scheme, Sunak said that it, “has been a lifeline… but it cannot and should not go on forever”. He confirmed some details of the gradual tapering off of the scheme until the end of October.

    On the plus side, practices will be able to claim a retention bonus of £1,000 for each member of staff brought out of the furlough scheme. For those practices able to bring back all their staff, this is a very positive development, helping towards overheads as some sort of normality is resumed.

    The down side to this announcement is that it could simply be delaying the inevitable for those practices that cannot afford to bring back all their staff once the furlough scheme ends. Other factors are at play in dentistry right now that affect the bottom line of many businesses far more than the £1,000 retention bonus could. For example, the recommended fallow time for surgeries and the resulting lower number of patients that can be seen daily, as well as the restrictions on types of procedures that can be performed, are all significantly limiting the potential earning capacity of practices that are fully or predominantly private. The increased cost of PPE also needs to be considered, with NHS patients perhaps most disinclined to pay any surcharges. In addition, even for staff returning to the practice part-time, the cost of their PPE will be disproportionate to the income generated by their presence. Until these businesses can increase their income, many could be unable to afford the return of their full staff.

    The government has had to take a blanket approach in order to support the majority of the population. In doing so, the aim is for individuals to gain confidence in the economy and their job security, and to start spending again – which is when they will return to areas like dentistry. While it might not seem hugely positive right now, 1-3 months could make a huge difference. With more patients happy to attend practices and perhaps fewer restrictions on the available procedures, earning capacity could be boosted substantially.

    Job creation

    Alongside encouraging employee retention, Sunak also announced plans to help create new job opportunities. The ‘Kickstart’ scheme has pledged £2 billion to help businesses create jobs for young people, paying minimum wage for up to 300,000 people aged 16-24 for six months from the autumn of 2020. For dental practices, this could offer new opportunities to engage with and support the local community, helping young people start a career in dentistry. This scheme also makes it possible for practices to train incoming employees from scratch and begin building a strong workforce with substantial financial help.

    Similarly, apprenticeships also got a boost. Businesses can claim up to £2,000 for apprentices – £1,500 for apprentices over the age of 25 – again financially supporting the expansion of the workforce. This could be particularly useful for any practices who have members of staff that don’t come back. Given the situation in dentistry over the past few months, some professionals may have had time to re-train, to research other jobs or to experience different roles due to re-deployment. The result may be that some individuals decide to work elsewhere and support with apprenticeships could help practices fill vacancies.

    On a personal level

    One of the major announcements of Sunak’s summer statement was the significant change to stamp duty. The threshold has now been raised from £125,000 to £500,000 until the end of March 2021 in England and Northern Ireland, which is brilliant for many people. The cut is applicable for anyone buying a main home worth up to £500,000, but those purchasing an additional property will benefit too – although the 3% levy paid if you already own a home will still apply. This could help individuals and families get on the property ladder or move up (or down). There are also positive implications for landlords or those looking to invest in additional properties as part of their future financial planning – though reading the fine print would still be very much advised![i]

    Other topics within the summer statement that may be of interest on a personal level, are the measures taken to support the hospitality and tourism industries. The VAT cut from 20% to 5% on all food, accommodation and attractions could provide a chance to enjoy your new-found freedom. Further still, there is a Government-funded, up to 50% discount (capped at £10 per person) on food bought from all registered businesses throughout August – something for everyone to make the most of!

    What’s more, people interested in making their homes greener would benefit from the new green energy funding. Homeowners and landlords will be able to apply for grants that cover at least two thirds of the cost – up to £5,000 – of making their homes more energy efficient. In the long-term, this doesn’t only benefit the environment, but could also lead to significantly reduced – or even 100% savings on – household bills.

    Finally, and rather interestingly, during questions from Parliament the Chancellor was very clear in his aim to avoid a wealth tax, stating: “This is not the time for a ‘wealth tax’ – now is the time to recognise the challenge we face… Now is the time to act decisively, with compassion, to provide hope and opportunity to the hundreds of thousands of, especially young people, who are at risk of…losing the future that they deserve.”

    All in all, this summer statement should offer some hope and reassurance for dental professionals and practices across the UK. There is still some way to go, but these are mostly positive first steps in the right direction.

     

    For more information please call 0845 345 5060 or 0754DENTIST.

    Email info@money4dentists.com or visit www.money4dentists.com

     

    [i] Green N. Rishi Sunak announces Stamp Duty holiday. Unbiased. https://www.unbiased.co.uk/news/mortgages/rishi-sunak-announces-stamp-duty-holiday [Accessed July 2020]

    Allergan Spark invites dentists to view Spark Talks on 22 July

    Course Dates: Open-ended
    Enrollment Dates: Enroll Anytime
    Who can Enroll:
    Price: FREE

    About the Course

    Medical aesthetics company, Allergan Spark, has created a knowledge hub to provide healthcare professionals with access to real-time business and clinical support online resources, as well as access to events, webinars, and talks. The impetus for its creation was to help healthcare professionals – including dentists looking to move into the medical aesthetics industry. Making the transition can be challenging, and finding the right support hard for the uninitiated.

    In June, Allergan issued a challenge to healthcare professionals – including dentists – who use the Sparks hub, to video a 30-second pitch about a business-related idea, insight or clinical pearl they would like to share with the profession.

    The Allergan Spark team viewed dozens of pitches, shortlisted 17 topics from the most passionate advocates, and invited the profession to vote for the seven they would most like to see as a televised 15-minute ‘Ted-style’ talk.

    The final seven have been now been invited to give their Spark Talk in a virtual TV studio at 7pm on 22 July. The range of topics is diverse and reflects the wide range of elements practitioners need to consider when running a successful aesthetics practice including:

    Dental professionals are invited to attend the live Allergan Spark Talks on 22nd July from 7pm to derive a spark of inspiration – whether they are established injectors or are considering a parallel path in medical aesthetics. Many have found that treatment with toxin and fillers can complement their dental work and expand the treatment options they can offer patients. To learn more about the speakers and to register to attend the free live event visit: https://mailchi.mp/allergan/allergan-spark. Those who cannot attend the live event will be able to view all the talks on the Allergan Spark hub in the ensuing days.