A team at the University of Plymouth is conducting a research study aiming to explore the experiences – including challenges, barriers and enablers – of providing care at Urgent Dental Care (UDC) centres in England during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is looking for feedback from dental healthcare professionals, including dental nurses, who are or have been involved in care delivery at UDC centres across England.

By participating in this study, there will be an opportunity to talk about your experiences of providing care at a UDC hub.

Gaining a deep understanding of these can also inform national efforts for optimising patient care and a safe return to care delivery in the dental setting.

Findings of the research may improve the profession’s preparedness should a future wave of the novel virus or another pandemic occurs.

Participants will be asked to spare 30-45 minutes of their time for an online or via a phone call interview.

The interview will be arranged at a convenient time and include options for evenings and/or weekends.

Participation will remain confidential and interview data will be treated anonymously.

This research study has been granted approval by the Faculty of Health Research and Integrity Ethics Committee of the University of Plymouth.

Anastasios Plessas is Honorary University Fellow at the Faculty of Health and is calling on dental nurses to get involved.

He said: ‘We believe that the experiences of dental nurses are under-represented in the dental literature and we are keen to encourage the voices of dental nurses to be heard.’

For more information, go to https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/experiences-of-providing-care-at-urgent-dental-centres-in-england-during-the-covid-19-pandemic

Should you wish to find out more about the study and/or take part, please contact the researcher Anastasios Plessas at dental.hubs@plymouth.ac.uk.

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