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<p>Dentistry has been particularly affected by the risk of COVID-19 transmission due
to the number of aerosol generating procedures carried out. This has resulted in the
need for an enhanced level of personal protective equipment and reduced throughput
to allow for thorough cleaning and resting of rooms between patients, as set out in
Public Health England’s Infection Prevention and Control guidance.</p><p> </p><p>The
Department is working closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement and the Chief Dental
Officer for England to increase levels of service, as fast as is safely possible.
We have been closely monitoring what has been possible and on 29 March announced that
the threshold for full National Health Service contractual payment would be raised
to 60% of normal activity. We continue to explore what more can be done to increase
capacity including piloting pre-appointment testing.</p>
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