In a press release, Denplan is ensuring UK dental practitioners are aware of concerns raised in both Houses of Parliament this week about the performance of the General Dental Council. Denplan shares these concerns, and others raised in Parliament. It believes that wholesale reform of healthcare regulation, as recommended to Government by the Law Commission in 2014, is long overdue in the interests of patients and the public.
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The latest patient survey of adults shows that 60% had tried to get an NHS dental appointment in the last two years. Of these over 90% were successful in getting an appointment; of the remainder most chose private care. Another survey of GPs showed that nearly one in five people have to wait more than a week for an appointment and more than one in 10 cannot get an appointment at all.
Read more: Only 60% of people try to make a dental appointment
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, speaking in the House of Lords, said he would have expected the entire Board of the GDC to have resigned following the adverse report that came out before Christmas. ‘I seriously would ask the Minister whether there can be any confidence that this organisation is fit for purpose’ he said. Replying the minister, Lorrt that came out before Christmas. on the GDC, d Prior said the PSA report was ‘extremely worrying’, there was a lack of confidence in the GDC among the profession and ‘that confidence must be rebuilt’.
NHS Practices sales as a percentage of goodwill are still on the rise. The latest quarterly goodwill survey from NASDAL (The National Association of Specialist Dental Accountants and Lawyers), reports that the market for NHS practices in particular is forging ahead with the average goodwill value secured for a practice with an NHS contract being 140% of turnover; up from 125% in the previous quarter.
It was reported by The Times that ministers are considering a U-turn on a sugary drink tax after evidence from Mexico that a 10% tax led to a 12% drop in sales. It has the support of the profession and the chair of the Health Select Committee, but several readers have raised concerns about a possible tax in letters to the paper.
Ministers have recognised that dentists must be part of a joined-up response to the mounting cases of oral cancer. In a Westminster Hall debate both government and opposition acknowledged the vital role dentists can play in early diagnosis of mouth cancer. Mick Armstrong, Chair of the BDA, welcomed the speeches saying: “The spike in oral cancer cases shows precisely why we need real joined-up thinking across our health service.”