CDO - Not Giving Anything Away
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- Published: Wednesday, 30 March 2022 08:08
- Written by Peter Ingle
- Hits: 2166
Visitors to the BDIA Dental Showcase at London’s Excel centre had the opportunity to listen to two English Chief Dental Officers. While suitably sponsored former CDO Barry Cockcroft popped up to promote a toothpaste, his successor Sara Hurley was scheduled to deliver a keynote address in the Clinical theatre.
The CDO spoke crisply, and the improved sound systems ensured that every word could be heard. After speaking about the workforce challenges, the CDO moved onto the current contractual problems facing NHS dentistry. Her comments included, “it’s not just about contracting”, and, “we don’t just need to swap the UDA for a different metric.” She spoke of discussions with the BDA, which were prioritising changes to the skill mix, prevention, and those with high needs. She wanted to maintain and deliver quality care and also, “make it attractive to those providing it.” The closest she got to specifics about how this might be achieved was to declare that while, “the UDA has run out of road,” that, “NHS dentistry has not.” There would be no “perfect solution,” we were facing a “different landscape”. There had been “focused discussions with the BDA”. She was, “here to offer hope,” but could only provide, “context, not detail”. An incremental package of changes was most likely. Ever the politician, the CDO went on to remind listeners that, “I don’t make these decisions,” and that she was not directly involved in the negotiations. Any 2022 changes would not cover the full range of ambitions for change, though she sensed the closeness of a “real agreement between the Department of Health and the BDA.” After a precise 30 minutes on stage that was it. There were no specifics about what might change. Nor about funding or scope. Unsurprisingly, nothing about timing. The CDO made it clear that questions would not be taken in the open arena of the theatre but might be asked in the more secluded environment of the CDO stand. There were no slides, and when members of the OCDO team, on their substantial stand were asked for a transcript of her speech, none was available. It appeared to be a request that they were not expecting.
Throughout the CDO’s speech, the modestly sized theatre was comfortably under capacity, and a significant number of those present appeared to be from, or known to, the OCDO. Only a small proportion of the large number of GDP’s present at the exhibition had chosen to come to hear the CDO. It is unlikely that they were her target audience.
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