A quarter of a million NHS workers opted out of the pension scheme over the past three years, with experts blaming a “punitive” government tax regime and the current cost of living, the HSJ has revealed. Their investigation found 245,561 people opted out of the scheme between 2015 and 2017, with 102,755 opting out in 2016 alone, representing a 78% increase from the previous year.
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Around 25% of evening and weekend appointments are being left unfilled, a Pulse investigation revealed on the day the policy was being rolled out across England. A Freedom of Information request by the publication which was answered in full by 80 CCGs, shows that across those around half a million appointment slots have been left empty on evenings and weekends.
Imports of prosecco to the UK fell by 7% this year after a decade of growth and dentists are being blamed for it. An Italian farmers group put the blame on the ‘fake news’ designed to discredit the Italian drink which seems to have had an impact on sales, they said.
Read more: Now dentists are being blamed for fall in Prosecco sales
London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has made commitments on oral health in the new London Health Inequalities Strategy. The document outlines ambitions to see partners take further action on improving child oral health, including access to dental care, particularly targeted on those communities least likely to be attend a dentist.
Read more: Mayor of London outlines his oral health ambitions
The BDA and BMA have issued a joint call for fundamental reform of the Review Body (DDRB). They state that the DDRB’s role to guarantee the independence of pay awards has been eroded over time, and the current process is no longer acceptable to their professions. GDPs in England still do not have clarity on whether the anticipated 2% uplift will be delivered from 1 October.
School meals should be improved to cut excess sugar and encourage children to eat more fruit and vegetables, leading dentists from the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons have said. They are calling for a "bolder approach" from the Scottish Government to give young children the healthiest possible start in life.
Read more: Puddings should be taken off school lunch menus say Scottish dental academics