Parliamentary report 21 July
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- Published: Monday, 24 July 2017 07:42
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This week, the last before the recess, Sir Paul Beresford asked about the next Adult Dental Health Survey. Judith Cummins asked about a pilot to improve dental access in West Yorkshire. In a Commons debate on drugs policy, John Mann made a link between dental care and drug addiction. This column will now also go into recess and resume with Parliament in September.
Sir Paul Beresford MP for Mole Valley (Conservative) asked what assessment had been made of the utility of the information provided by the Adult Dental Health Survey in assessing and planning for oral health needs both nationally and locally, also when the Minister planned for the work of the next Adult Dental Health Survey to commence.
Replying junior minister, Steve Brine MP, said: “There has been no formal assessment of the use of previous Adult Dental Health Surveys. The comparable nature of the data facilitates the following uses: for national and local policy makers to design, implement and monitor policies on oral health and dental services; for dental commissioners to ensure commissioned services are meeting the needs of the population; for local authorities to fulfil a statutory function to assess the oral health needs of their populations - to inform the adult oral health elements of their joint strategic needs assessments and their local adult oral health improvement plans. He added that no decisions had been taken yet on the funding or timing of the next Adult Dental Health Survey.
Judith Cummins MP for Bradford South (Labour) asked about the recently concluded pilot on improving access to primary care dentistry in the Bradford City, Bradford Districts and North Kirklees Clinical Commissioning Group areas, what plans there were to publish his assessment of that pilot; and whether there are plans to provide ongoing funding to improve access to primary care dentistry.
Replying junior minister, Steve Brine MP, said: “The primary care dental access pilot was established to build additional capacity in dental practices and provide more appointments for the patients of Kirklees, Dewsbury and Bradford. The scheme, which was originally due to end on 31 March 2017, proved to be successful, so was extended until 30 June 2017. The results of this are currently being analysed by NHS England and they will make the findings available shortly. NHS England has also confirmed that a costed commissioning plan, based on these findings and the needs of the population, will be considered by the NHS England Yorkshire and Humber Director team over the summer of 2017 and an approach agreed to improve capacity in identified areas.
House of Commons debate
In a Commons debate on drugs policy, John Mann, MP (Labour) for Bassetlaw made a link between dental care and drug addiction.
“There has been a lot of talk of rehabilitation, but I will tell hon. Members the biggest rehabilitation that someone on heroin can get: it is going through the front door of their GP’s practice, like everybody else in the community—like their mother, father, brother, sister, and sometimes their kids. It is going through the same door and seeing the same GP. Strangely, that is rehabilitating and normalising.
“It takes people back into society—and it is dirt cheap: the biggest single cost of this in my area is from the dental treatment, because those with a significant substance misuse problem do not tend to go to dentists. They go into treatment; I do not know what the treatment is, though I know some of the modalities, but the treatment is not my decision, or the decision of a politician, a councillor, the police, the criminal justice system, or a drug worker; the GP decides on the treatment.
“Strangely, these people wanted dental treatment; that was the highest single cost. Strangely, people who have had dental treatment have a far better chance of getting through a job interview than those who have had no treatment for five or 10 years. A job means a bit more rehabilitation, and if the local council has its act together it can provide proper housing.”
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