Abstract
Background In 2020/21, as part of the COVID-19 pandemic response and for the first time in England, newly qualified foundation dentists (FDs) were trained to participate in flu and COVID-19 vaccination programmes to offer additional workforce capacity. The largest of these efforts was in Yorkshire and the Humber where 106 FDs were trained and ready to mobilise. The aim of this service evaluation was to appraise the use of FDs in delivering vaccinations.
Methods Mixed methods using an online questionnaire to FDs and in-depth remote interviews conducted with host organisations, Public Health England, Health Education England and others.
Results The questionnaire response rate was 89% (n = 94), with 54 FDs having participated in vaccinations at a rate of 50-100 vaccines per day. All were confident with flu vaccine administration and most (n = 44/54) with COVID-19 vaccination. Eleven stakeholder interviews were conducted. Main barriers included the siloed delivery of dental care from other health services, resulting in collaborative barriers and a lack of understanding about the profession's skillsets. Facilitators included host organisations' capacity to hold multiple honorary contracts and provide competency sign-off.
Conclusion Utilising the dental workforce to deliver vaccinations was feasible at a time of crisis and when trainees' access to dental patients was limited.
Key points
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Key stakeholders planning and delivering the 2020/21 flu vaccination programme in Yorkshire and the Humber recognised a workforce gap created by programme expansion as part of the COVID-19 pandemic response. Foundation dentists were invited to support the flu programme and later, the COVID-19 vaccination programme.
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Strong system leadership and collaboration between a wide range of healthcare organisations supported innovative solutions for training, indemnity, host-employment arrangements and competency sign-off. Foundation dentists mobilised for flu vaccinations were ready to be rapidly transferred to support the COVID-19 vaccination programme.
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In the context of limited access to dental patients due to the pandemic, foundation dentists were able to be trained to deliver vaccinations safely and effectively and their contribution to vaccination programmes was valued.
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Acknowledgements
We wish to express our gratitude to Richard Stubbs and his team, especially Helen Hoyland and Neil Toner from the Yorkshire and the Humber Academic Health Sciences Network for their generous support for this service evaluation. Special thanks to James Spencer and Jason Atkinson from Health Education England Yorkshire and the Humber, Dr Siobhan Grant from Public Health England North East and Yorkshire, Professor Mike Holmes and his team from Nimbuscare Ltd and Alex Morton and Emma Wilson from NHS England and NHS Improvement Yorkshire and the Humber. Also, we would like to acknowledge the support provided by Dr Olivia Barraclough, Dr Zhain Mustufvi, Ms Sarah Simon and Dr Joshua Twigg, the educational supervisors and training programme directors and the 106 foundation dentists and the numerous other organisations supporting this complex project.
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Stefan T. Serban led the evaluation, collected the data, wrote the first draft of the paper and agreed the final version. Sally E. Simon led the project, contributed to the design of evaluation, contributed to the drafts and agreed the final version. Karen Vinall-Collier contributed to the design of the evaluation, reviewed drafts and agreed the final version. Gail V. A. Douglas advised on the design of the evaluation, reviewed drafts and agreed the final version.
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The original online version of this article was revised.
Due to a production error, when the article 'Dentistry, the press and a pandemic', written by Matthew J. Sedgwick and Deborah Krishnapillai, was originally published, the publication date on the publisher's internal portal read 17 December 2021. This has been corrected to 14 December 2021, the date the paper was first published online.
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Serban, S., Simon, S., Vinall-Collier, K. et al. Foundation dentists supporting vaccination programmes in England. Br Dent J (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-021-3758-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-021-3758-5
