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Published: Tuesday, 31 May 2016 07:34

Written by News Editor

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Health minister, Alistair Burt MP, gave a keynote address to the BDA Conference in Manchester saying that progress to improve the oral health of children would only come in partnership with the profession. He described the number of children going to hospital for dental extractions is a ‘national scandal’. Responding in a press release, GDPC chair, Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen, said Mr Burt had identified all the right problems, ‘but was short on both detail and ambition when it comes to the solutions’. 

The health minister, Alistair Burt MP, said that the scandal of child extractions should not be tolerated in 2016. But dentists were not to blame this on dentists, he said. They were delivering preventive care in their practices, but were not getting the credit for this. The profession was also largely responsible for recently reported improvements in the oral health of five-year-olds. For this the minister wanted to thank dentists.

Despite these improvements, there were still pockets of deprivation where decay was a major problem and other socio-economic factors were present. The minister sought the help of the profession in reaching places where such problems were evident.

Looking at ways to improve the oral health of the nation he mentioned the Change4Life programme and helping children become ‘sugar smart’. The childhood obesity strategy was also due to be published later this summer and would contain reference to oral health as well. But, the minister said, progress would only be made by the profession and the Government working together in partnership.

Having praised the achievements of Childsmile, Scotland and similar initiatives in England, he announced that NHS England was starting an initiative to examine the feasibility of NHS England tying such schemes in with commissioning. They would report back in October. Of this Henrik said: “The announcement of 10 pilot preventive programmes in areas of high deprivation could be a step in the right direction. We're clear that recycling existing budgets is no substitute for real investment, and we need to know that new money will be going to areas in most need. Henrik continued: “We’ve seen real progress in Wales and Scotland in the fight against decay, because their governments have offered real commitment, strategy and dedicated funding. Dental policy in England is still lacking in ambition, and it is our patients who are paying the price.”

Turning to the new contract and the prototype pilots, the minister said their objective was to encourage a more preventive approach, through personal care plans and clinical pathways. As elsewhere in medicine patients had to be encouraged to take control of their lives and responsibility for their own actions. They also contained provision to improve quality. He said the intention was still to roll out a new contract nationally in 2018-19. He appeared confident of a positive outcome.

Henrilk commented on the contract discussions: “We want to work with the Department to ensure that by 2019 we can start turning the page on over a decade of failure with the NHS contract. We all want to see a contract with a ‘prevention focus’ but that will not be achieved through more of the same government targets. Today dentists wanted to hear about a coherent strategy and a contract that can really put prevention first. We are still waiting.”

Finally Alistair Burt turned to regulation and the vexed question of the General Dental Council (GDC). He well recognised the loss of trust with the regulator which was also in the audience’s reaction to a question after the speech asking why Mr Moyes had not been sacked. The Minister said that there had been a major shake-up of the management team including the recently appointed new chief executive, Ian Brack. He surged some patience from dentists but warned the new management that this was their last chance.

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