DENTISTS are being reminded that all electronic systems used in the provision of NHS services are expected to employ the terminology SNOMED CT as of 1 April 2020.
SNOMED CT is a structured clinical vocabulary used in electronic health records and is an international standard. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 mandates that systems involved in the care of individuals in dentistry in England must use SNOMED CT for patient record keeping, electronic communications and data capture.
This includes all practices that hold an NHS contract and any provider that does or may interact with the NHS for the provision of a course of treatment.
Dr Ian Bergin, Digital Project Manager for the Office of the Chief Dental Officer at NHS England has written to MDDUS to remind members: "It is incumbent on all providers to ensure that their PMS [practice management software] utilises SNOMED CT. I would strongly advise liaising with the BDA to ensure that all dental practices and practitioners have a PMS that is SNOMED CT compliant and, therefore, not in breach of the law as of April next year."
This page was correct at the time of publication. Any guidance is intended as general guidance for members only. If you are a member and need specific advice relating to your own circumstances, please contact one of our advisers.
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