Dental Protection: Dentistry should not be an afterthought in Government’s change plan
NewsPosted by: Dental Design 14th November 2024
Dental Protection has called on the Government to prioritise access to NHS dentistry, child oral health, growth of and support for the dental workforce and GDC reform as it develops its 10-year health plan for England, and ensure dentistry is not an afterthought.
The recommendations are outlined in Dental Protection’s submission to the Government’s Change NHS consultation, which is being undertaken as part of the development of the new 10-Year Health Plan.
In its consultation response, Dental Protection says access to NHS dentistry across the country must be tackled as a priority, as data from June 2023 shows that just 41% of adults had seen an NHS dentist in the last two years and more than a quarter of pensioners fear they will have to carry out their own dentistry.
It also urged the new Government to progress GDC reform. The previous government progressed plans for reforms to other regulators’ legislation while making it clear that GDC reform was a lower priority.
In a 2023 Dental Protection survey of 125 dental professionals who have been investigated by the dental regulator, 82% said the process had a detrimental impact on their mental health, with the length of the investigation being one of the factors that had the most significant impact on members.
Raj Rattan, Dental Protection’s Dental Director, said: “The government’s forthcoming ten-year plan for the NHS has to speak to the critical issues currently impacting dental professionals and patients.
“There are a number of long overdue reforms that would significantly improve the delivery of dental care and the patient experience. Access to NHS dentistry must surely be a high priority. On a societal level, it is clear that there is a gap between the public health ideals in the UK and actual service provision. In a country that aspires to provide a state health service based on need, the Government has a moral and ethical obligation to assure and ensure a reasonable array of public health and other necessary interventions.
“We also need to see a firm commitment to improving dental regulation. The GDC have recently made some improvements aimed at speeding up their processes and reducing the impact on those being investigated. While the GDC need to continue this work they also need the government to now deliver on long-overdue reforms to their legislation so they can further increase their focus on conducting investigations more swiftly.
“The start of a new Parliament – and the commitment to introducing a 10-year plan – provide the opportunity to implement a broad range of changes to secure, strengthen and safeguard dental services fit for the future. We hope this opportunity is not missed.”
The NHS change survey closes on 2 December 2024 and Dental Protection’s full response can be accessed here.
