GIRFT, the Consultant Orthodontist Group of the British Orthodontic Society and the Royal College of Surgeons have published a booklet to clarify the guidance on coding for hospital dentistry. The guidance has been developed for clinicians, clinical coders and other health professionals at secondary care trusts and aims to improve the quality of data and reduce unwarranted variation.
The guidance was developed by a working party, from the Consultant Orthodontist Group, based on the findings of GIRFT deep-dive visits and many conversations with clinical coding teams within trusts.
Liz Jones, GIRFT clinical lead for hospital dentistry, has visited 106 dental services across England, holding frank and robust meetings with clinicians, managers and other health professionals.
By improving the quality of clinical coding in hospital dentistry, the NHS will have more accurate and useful data to inform efforts to reduce unwarranted variation and improve quality. It will also provide trusts with better evidence to use in meetings with commissioners.
The guidance booklet is intended to stimulate discussion within hospital dentistry services, between consultants, clinical coders, IT teams and other colleagues, with teams working together to implement the guidance.
To read more about the GIRFT hospital dentistry and clinical coding workstreams, please follow the links below.
