British efforts to tackle obesity could be rendered futile by a European Union deal that threatens to flood the market with cheap sugar, experts have warned. Campaigners fear the reform, called a “threat to public health”, will allow companies to absorb government measures such as the Soft Drinks Levy, aimed at forcing a reduction in sugar content.
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Alison Lockyer has been elected as Chair of the BDA’s Education, Ethics and the Dental Team (EEDT) Working Group, at a meeting of the BDA’s governing board, the Principal Executive Committee (PEC). The meeting also saw the re-election of Mick Armstrong as Chair of the PEC and Eddie Crouch as Vice-Chair.
Read more: Alison Lockyer elected to chair key BDA Working Group
Steve McCabe MP for Birmingham Selly oak continued his probing of Health Ministers with questions on the costs of hospitalisation for extractions and the need to improve oral health. Two Conservative MPs questioned ministers about the failures of Capita.
The biggest shake-up of health regulation for more than a century is being planned by ministers according to a report in The Times. Under proposals to be published soon some of them could be merged, including the GDC. The Times has now published letters by Mick Armstrong chair of the BDA and well-known GDP Charles Lister giving their opinions on this proposed change.
The Department of Health has launched plans to impose fixed limits on fees charged by lawyers for lower value negligence claims. Introducing Fixed Recoverable Costs in Lower Value Clinical Negligence Claims highlights that 36% of clinical negligence claims against the NHS relates directly to the cost of litigation. The plans, if implemented, will reduce the cost of claims by streamlining the litigation process.
A study of young people undergoing orthodontic treatment recently published in the Journal of Dental Research has advanced the dental profession’s knowledge of the impact of obesity on oral tissues. The British Orthodontic Society’s Director of External Relations, Richard George, said the research is fascinating with potential for more interesting results in the future.
The Irish Dental Association (IDA) has urged people to prioritise their oral health and not to ignore dental problems, which could lead to serious problems. The call follows the death of 26-year-old Vadim Kondratyuk Anatoliyevich, who died after a dental infection spread to his lungs. They partly blamed cuts to the Irish dental service.
Last week some questions relating to dentistry were raised in the House of Commons. Steve McCabe asked about numbers of people ‘ registered’. Karen Lumley asked about plans to improve access. Steven Baker asked about dentists investigated by the GDC.
A report published by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health recognises the impact of poor oral health on a child’s physical health and quality of life. The State of Child Health report 2017 is welcomed by the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) which gives unqualified support to its recommendations.
Read more: Oral health of children is essential to physical health says report