Steve McCabe continued his questioning on ministers, this time from the Department of Communities and Local Government. In the Lords Lord O'Shaughnessy, replied to a question on child oral health. Finally Jeremy Hunt issued a statement on the DDRB report. The Commons is now in recess until after Easter, the Lords will sit for a further week.
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BDA Scotland has criticised the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration (DDRB) and its recommendation for a 1% pay award for general dental practitioners in Scotland for 2017/18. Associates and practice owners in Scotland have seen their income fall by well over a quarter since 2009.
Oral surgeon Sean Ferguson dentist killed himself after he was forced to stop treating patients because of a hereditary illness which was damaging the nerves in his hands. He suffered from a condition, Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease, which affected his peripheral nerves and had been told to stop working by the General Dental Council while they looked into his condition.
Read more: Dentist killed himself after hand condition forced him to stop work
The European Parliament has voted in favour of a gradual phase down in dental amalgam. The move has ended months of speculation over whether the dental filling material faced an outright ban by 2022. The so-called great reform act should mean that this will be incorporated into UK law and after 2022, decisions will be made by UK parliament.
The British Dental Association (BDA) has said underinvestment in dentistry is bringing NHS services to the brink, as the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) announced its recommendation of a below inflation pay uplift of 1% for dentists in 2017/18. The BDA said that the report had ‘comprehensively failed to recognise the impact that a collapse of 35% in earnings since 2006 has had on investment in dental practices.’
Read more: DDRB report published: BDA says dentistry is ‘on the brink’
A survey of 12 countries commissioned by the FDI World Dental Federation show that Britons are taking much better care of their teeth than Americans, but are lagging behind Brazilians, Mexicans, South Africans and Poles when it comes to making the right choices to maintain healthy teeth and gums.
The single-handed dentistry model may be a thing of the past in the UK, according to the latest NASDAL (National Association of Specialist Dental Accountants and Lawyers) Benchmarking Report which has just been released and shows a decrease of almost 12% in profits for such practices in two years. Associates see profits slip – again.
Read more: NASDAL statistics suggest demise of single-handed dentist
A new review has found that dental patients with substance use disorders are more likely to have tooth decay and periodontal disease than the general population, but are less likely to receive dental care. These findings mirror those of poorer oral health those with severe mental illness, eating disorders and alcohol use disorders. It was published online in the scientific journal Addiction.
A newcomer to Parliamentary Questions this week, S Barry Sheerman Labour MP for Huddersfield. And regular Steve McCabe Labour Birmingham Selly Oak quizzed both health ministers and Department for Communities and Local Government.