(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.