The House of Commons has given a second reading to the Government’s Trade Union Bill, which now goes into Committee for detailed scrutiny. The BDA has argued that it represents ‘the most restrictive trade union laws in the Western world’, is potentially outside the International Labour Organisations conventions, and may be open to legal challenge.
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The Health and Social Care Information Centre has published figures for Dental Earnings and Expenses in 2013/14. They show little change over the past year but massive falls inreal terms net income since 2008/09. In England and Wales the figure for net earnings of contract holders was £115,200 in 2013/14 compared to £145,800 in 2008/09, a 21.0% decrease. For associates there was a 19.6% drop from £75,400 to £60,600.
Read more: New figures show massive falls in dentists’ real-terms earnings
Dentsply International and Sirona Dental Systems are to merge, creating the world's largest maker of professional dental products with a value of about $13.3 billion, it was announced by the companies on Tuesday. The merger will involve shares in the companies only, no cash. Sirona shareholders will receive 1.8142 shares of Dentsply for each Sirona share. The combined entity is expected to have revenue of about $3.8 billion and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization of more than $900 million. Shares of Dentsply were up 1.4% while Sirona shares rose 1.2% during regular session but both were halted in after-hours trade pending news of the merger.
The new company will be named Dentsply Sirona. This ewas announced on NASDAQ, the exchange where both company shares are traded.
Despite provocative reporting and sensational headlines, dental experts in the UK and USA have said there is no evidence that Alzheimer's disease can be spread from person to person by direct contact, or through any dental procedures or dental instruments. The BDA’s Professor Damien Walmsley, said: “Dentists take patient safety very seriously and follow strict protocols to protect patients from the risk of infections, however slight that risk may be.”
Read more: No evidence linking dental treatment to Alzheimers disease
New NHS Dental statistics for England from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) highlight that NHS dentists are carrying out more preventative treatments than ever and continue to work hard to prevent dental disease. It is, however, clear that there is still more that can be done to improve the oral health of children and adults across the country. FGDP(UK) Dean Dr Mick Horton said: “This report highlights the excellent work NHS dentists are doing in preventing dental disease and promoting good oral health.”
Figures releases by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (www.hscic.gov.uk) for NHS complaints in 2014-15 show that fewer than 4% of the total were dental. Within primary care only 9% of the 84,500 written complaints received were about dentists. Only 37.5% of complaints in primary care were upheld.
Read more: NHS dentistry receives lowest number of complaints