Just £1.8 bn to fix NHS dentistry, says Green New Deal for the NHS

A new policy report to be launched this week by the Green Party will reveal startling new figures on the state of NHS dentistry, based on Freedom of Information Act research.

And the new report - A Green New Deal for the NHS - will show that just £1.8 billion a year would make NHS dentistry "a service that Britain can be proud of."

The report will show that:

* Between 55% and 60% of NHS practices are not taking new NHS patients.
* Access to NHS dentists can range from 1 dentist per 1,000 people - to as little as one-quarter of that, depending on where people live.
* Some Primary Care Trusts have no NHS dentists taking on new patients.
* The percentage of children who visited NHS dentists fell from 70.7% in March 2006 to 69.0% in June 2008.
* Less than half of the adult population is accessing NHS dentistry, and the numbers are continuing to decline.

Green Party health spokesperson Stuart Jeffery said today:

"The dental service received £2.1 billion of direct funding in 2007/08. If the current NHS dental service was provided free at the point of use, the total cost to the NHS would increase by £531m to a total of £2.6 billion.

"If the NHS wanted to provide free dentistry to 75% of the population (from the current 50%, assuming that some people will want to remain private), the total level of funding would need to increase from £2.6 billion to £3.9 billion. As the NHS currently provides £2.1 billion, an increase in funding of £1.8 billion would be required for patients to have dentistry free at the point of access.

"It seems little to ask to restore NHS dentistry to what it should be - a service that Britain can be proud of."

The full report _A Green New Deal for the NHS_ will be published later this week.

URL: http://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2009-04-13-dentistry.html

(DH) Have your say in NHS Dentistry review

- Dentists and their teams invited to engagement events countrywide -

Dentists and their teams from across the country are being asked to share their views on how to improve access and quality of NHS dentistry at a series of engagement events this spring, Professor Jimmy Steele, chair of the independent review team for NHS dentistry, announced today.

Since its appointment in December 2008, the review team has been investigating why there are variations in access to dentistry in England and how the NHS can deliver continuous improvements in the quality of care.

Dental professionals are invited to join NHS commissioners and patient representatives at any of the five engagement events being held in Newcastle, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester and London during April and May.

At the events, Professor Steele will discuss the emerging findings of the review with people involved in delivering and improving NHS dental services, inviting them to contribute to the development of recommendations.

Professor Jimmy Steele, chair of the Independent Dentistry Review Team said:

"I want to continue to listen to the views of dentists and their teams, patients and NHS staff and to take their advice on improving access, promoting prevention and ensuring NHS dentistry of the highest quality.

"The NHS dentistry review is giving me and the review team some very useful insights into what matters most to both patients and the dental profession. I'd like to encourage dentists and their teams to share their opinions at these events and help us start to develop our recommendations."

The results of the study, 'A Review of NHS Dentistry in England' will be published this summer.

Greens Condemn Mass-Medication decision

The Green Party today called South Central SHA's decision to fluoridate Southampton's tap water "dangerous, undemocratic and potentially illegal."

Stuart Jeffery, the party's health spokesperson, described fluoridation as a "sticking plaster with side effects solution."

The Greens further criticised the Southampton Primary Care Trust for "failing to provide adequate NHS dentistry for its residents."

A recent Freedom of Information request (1) revealed that 76% of Southampton's NHS dentists are not taking new patients.

And the controversial Southampton decision came on the very day that new dentistry data was released, which showed that less than half of adults are using NHS dentists and the proportion of children accessing NHS dentistry in Southampton has fallen by 2.4% over the past two years (2).

Stuart Jeffery continued "Trying to fix NHS dentistry problems by unethical and potentially illegal mass medication is simply wrong. Southampton needs to fix its access to dentistry.

"Having less than a quarter of its dental practices taking on new patients means that many poorer people are forced to go without dental care. The new statistics have also shown the proportion of children accessing NHS dental care is falling.

"The Green Party wants a proper dental health strategy founded on education, good diet and access to free dental health care. Southampton has failed to provide this, and is now resorting to a technofix that won't solve the problem but will breach everyone's universally-acknowledged human right not to be medicated without their consent."

Mr Jeffery, a health service manager, explained: "The European Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine distinctly states that individuals have the right not to be medicated without their consent. Fluoride has well documented and dangerous side effects, and it is clearly wrong to expose people to these against their will.

"This appalling decision also seems to have been taken without any regard for the voice of local people, the majority of whom were opposed to mass medication with fluoride."

Notes:

1. FOI response to the Green Party dated 3rd Feb 2009 showed that of
Southampton PCT's 25 NHS dental practices only 6 were accepting new
patients in December 2008.

2. See [http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-statistics-for-england-quarter-2:-30-september-2008][1].

[1]: http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-statistics-for-england-quarter-2:-30-september-2008

URL: http://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2009-02-27-fluoridation.html

Published and promoted by Tracy Dighton-Brown for the Green Party of England & Wales, both at 1a Waterlow Road, London N19 5NJ.