Peter Ward warns Jeremy Hunt on dentists’ low morale
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- Published: Thursday, 11 February 2016 07:42
- Written by News Editor
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At a conference last week, BDA Chief Executive Peter Ward told Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt that dentists don't feel trusted and they feel subject to oppressive regulation; they feel they are bullied by systems. He said: “All health professionals want to deliver high quality results, but sometimes the blockages in the system are those that prevent them doing it.”
BDA Chief Executive Peter Ward raised the issue of professional morale with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt this week. Speaking at the Health and Care Partnership conference he said that red tape, and an out of control regulator were leaving many dentists "longing to get out of the system".
The Secretary of State argued that concerns over safety and the quality of care were the biggest long term drivers of low morale among healthcare professionals.
Peter Ward responded that "most healthcare professionals will tell you they don't feel trusted, they do feel subject to oppressive regulation, they do feel they are bullied by systems. All health professionals want to deliver high quality results, but sometimes the blockages in the system are those that prevent them doing it."
Research by the BDA in 2014 showed that dentists are almost twice as likely to report low levels of life satisfaction compared with the general population, with almost half of general dental practitioners reporting low levels of life satisfaction. As many as 44 per cent reported low levels of happiness and around six out of ten said they experienced high levels of anxiety. The BDA says it continues to campaign for proportionate, consistent and targeted regulation.
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