NHS Dentistry To Get Select Committee Treatment
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- Published: Tuesday, 20 December 2022 07:43
- Written by Peter Ingle
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The Health and Social Care Committee has announced an inquiry into dentistry.
The cross-party Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the policy, administration and expenditure of the Department of Health and Social Care.
The Committee chooses its own subjects of enquiry. Recent topics include, Coronavirus: lessons learnt, digital transformation in the NHS and assisted dying/assisted suicide. Although rarely used, the Committee has the power to send for "persons, papers and records". It can insist upon the attendance of witnesses and the production of papers and other material.
The dental inquiry was launched following the revelation that 90% of UK practices are not accepting NHS adult patients. The MP’s on the committee will consider “to what extent the current NHS contract disincentivises dentists from taking on new patients. They will look at what incentives can be offered by the NHS to recruit and retain dental professionals.” They will also ”explore the possible impact of changes to be introduced next April to make new Integrated Care Systems and Integrated Care Boards responsible for the provision of dental services.”
The time the Committee take to conduct an inquiry depends upon on the subject, external deadlines, and the amount of oral evidence the Committee decides to take. The Committee normally invites interested parties to submit written evidence. It may also identify possible witnesses and issue specific invitations to them to submit written evidence. The link for those wishing to provide evidence can be found at NHS dentistry - Committees - UK Parliament The closing date for submissions I January 25th 2023.
The Committees terms of reference are:
- What steps should the Government and NHS England take to improve access to NHS dental services?
- What role should ICSs play in improving dental services in their local area?
- How should inequalities in accessing NHS dental services be addressed?
- Does the NHS dental contract need further reform?
- What incentives should be offered by the NHS to recruit and retain dental professionals, and what is the role of training in this context?
Launching the inquiry, Committee Chair Steve Brine MP spoke of the reports of DIY dentistry, which “should belong to another era.” It would seek to answer “why dental treatment is so hard to find and to establish what the government and NHS England must do to improve access and reduce such unnecessary pain and suffering.”
On the same day that the inquiry was announced, MP Tan Dhesi asked minister Neil O’Brien , what recent steps had been taken to help improve children’s dental health in his constituency. The response referred to the recent minor contractual changes and spoke of reallocating resources.
One person who may feel conflicted about the enquiry is the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt. After his banishment to the back benches, the former Health Secretary raised his profile as chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, where he made critical comments about the NHS dental contract. Dentists will wonder if his elevation to the Treasury has tempered his enthusiasm for contract reform.
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