BDA Response To NHS Next Stage Review, UK

Main Category: Dentistry
Article Date: 04 Jul 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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The British Dental Association has noted the recognition of the importance placed on dentistry in the NHS Next Stage Review, published today by the Department of Health. The review is published just one day after the Department of Health was criticised for the failures of the new dental contract by the Health Select Committee.

As well as recognising the importance of dentistry in primary care, the report also highlights the role of targeted water fluoridation in improving oral health and notes that access to NHS dentistry is still a problem for many patients.

Susie Sanderson, Chair of the BDA's Executive Board, said:

"This report rightly recognises the significance of dentistry within the primary care family and also highlights the impact that fluoride can have on oral health. It also reinforces concerns about access to NHS dentistry as highlighted by this week's report by the Health Select Committee. One again, we urge the Government to look at the issue of access and especially issues around continuity of care very carefully."

The report also sets out a commitment to continuously improving the quality of care received by patients, noting the recent consultation on the role of the Care Quality Commission in regulating the safety and quality of medical and dental practices, and pledges to spread the Quality and Outcomes Framework approach, noting that some primary care trusts are already developing 'quality scorecards' for dental services. The document also announces that the scope of the NHS Care Records Service is to be reviewed with a view to including dentistry and reiterates the Government's commitment to the use of water fluoridation as a method of addressing oral health inequalities.

Notes

1. The report, NHS Next Stage Review: Our vision for primary and community care, can be accessed here.

2. The British Dental Association (BDA) is the professional association for dentists in the UK. It represents over 23,000 dentists working in general practice, in community and hospital settings, in academia and research, and in the armed forces.

British Dental Association