Baroness Gardner of Parkes, a retired dentist and the first Australian woman to be elevated to the peerage, has died. She was 96.
No commentsRead more: Baroness Gardner of Parkes, Dentist And Peer, Dies Aged 96
The number of people belonging to dental payment plans has surged to new levels. Figures released for 2022 reveal that 3.8 million people were signed up to a dental payment or insurance plan, rendering the market worth £868M. This figure represents an almost 25% growth on the 2019 market value of £710M when 3.2 million patients were members of dental plans.
Read more: Dental Payment Plan Membership 'Surging' As NHS Access Bites
A recent hearing demonstrated that the GDC‘s combative approach to Fitness to Practice (FTP) cases is very much alive and well.
GDPUK understands that Jason Wong MBE is to be the new Chief Dental Officer for England.
The effectiveness of the NHS’s Long Term Workforce Plan (LWP) and government’s Dental Recovery Plan (DRP) could be compromised by the ageing team of academics to train the clinical teams of the future.
Read more: Ageing Dental Academic Cohort Threatens Workforce Planning
The thorny question of whether cancer patients should be given guaranteed access to NHS dental services that are, like prescriptions, free of patient charges, was considered by MPs in Westminster Hall in mid April.
Read more: Leadsom To Meet Dental Campaigner Following Westminster Debate
Reading any recent press release or announcement from the Government or NHS about healthcare, one can expect to see the reduction of inequalities being given as a key objective.
Two recent stories underline the disconnection between that frequently stated ambition, and actual outcomes in dentistry. In the same week that Secretary of State Victoria Atkins, claimed that dental access was now much better, residents of Newcastle and Darlington saw the reality of this supposedly improved NHS dental provision.
Read more: NHS Dentistry: From National Health Service to Whack-a-Mole
As medicine and dentistry move into the world of direct to consumer offerings, and increasingly reach their would be patients through social media, regulators and law enforcement are struggling to keep up.
Read more: Direct to Consumer Opportunities for Fake Dentists
The NHS dentistry access crisis and the accompanying awful headlines, have dogged the government and a succession of health ministers for a few years. But according to Victoria Atkins, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, things are now getting a lot better.