Sir, first of all my strong support for your associate themed issue.

Associates are real dentists whereas practice owners are business people who in many practices may be dentists or may not.

It is of course important for dentists (whom I believe you should primarily support as the BDA) that you are active in matters such as NHS contract, Provider contracts and government dental negotiations as these do affect those employing or contracting with associates.

I would take some issue with the article entitled 'Responsibility and practicality of providing locum cover for an associate'.1 To start with, NHS GDS (and NHS England) does not have 'locum' as a recognised position. If an associate performer is unable to work, then whomever replaces them has to be another performer. That performer will have to be included in the Provider's contract list of performers. I would expect them to have a written contract (the BDA contract is a good model) with the Provider. It will be the Provider who has the final responsibility to send in claims towards the practice's contract total and the Provider who receives the payment from NHS England (and patient fees).

It is the Provider who is responsible to provide the UDAs by having performers carry out the treatment on the Provider's patients.

I am aware that many contracts stipulate that associates are responsible for getting locums to cover them but for NHS work I do not believe that this should be the case and I am unaware of any regulations allowing performers to subcontract. 'Locum' performers may not work on the original performer's number but must use their own performer number. They will of course be credited with their own superannuation contributions just like any performer.

I have only discussed NHS work above. Non-NHS private patient work is different and Nashima's article is correct in relation to those cases although I think in a mixed practice it would be complicated to have two contracts for the locum.