The Dentist Will See You Now – Roll Up Your Sleeve
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- Published: Tuesday, 10 September 2024 09:22
- Written by Peter Ingle
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Dentistry is getting some novel media coverage, making a change from a diet of dental desert stories and Turkey teeth titillation. Approving reports have been covering the roll out of the first 60 sites in a new programme to introduce blood pressure checks at dentists and optometrists.
There have been positive reports in the Telegraph and Mirror and as well as local press, and coverage in healthcare publications.
15 ICB’s are involved, of whom 6 have only dentists participating, and 5 are restricted to optometrists. Hertfordshire and West Essex, Lincolnshire, North Central London, Humber and North Yorkshire, are using both groups. NHS England says that it expects over 100,000 checks to be delivered during the next 12 months via the scheme, which will launch in the ‘coming months.’
This follows pilots across 24 dental practices in Humber and North Yorkshire, which found that one in 10 patients had hypertension. The approach is intended to reach those who would not otherwise be monitored, and this was confirmed following offering the checks in five optometrists in Bexley and Hackney. There, survey findings showed that approximately half of the attendees would not have otherwise had their blood pressure tested.
Helen Williams, NHS national clinical director for cardiovascular disease prevention, said: “These convenient checks at dentists and optometrists will enable thousands of people to monitor their blood pressure and could potentially be life-saving. Many otherwise healthy people over 40 only visit their GP when they’re feeling unwell, but offering these vital checks as part of routine dentist or eye test appointments means we can identify and support more people at risk.”
NHS England estimates that around 4.2 million people have high blood pressure without knowing it. Even modest reductions can reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney disease, and vascular dementia.
Whilst developed before the election, the scheme has the support of the new administration. Minister for public health and prevention, Andrew Gwynne MP commented: “By checking our health and getting help early on we can prevent serious conditions such as heart disease and stroke – which is why schemes likes this, that make it easier and more convenient, are so important. This programme is an important step towards delivering community-focused healthcare, helping to shift the focus from treatment to prevention and helping people to live well for longer.”
Amongst all the coverage only the Mail spotted a potential problem; “Dental chiefs, however, warned proper funding would be needed for the scheme to work effectively.”
BDA chair Eddie Crouch was quoted, observing that schemes like this could “prevent disease and save our NHS a fortune.”
Dentists were ready to play their part, he said, but it required funding and reform to save NHS dentistry.
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