The Guardian reports that Norway has had a sugar tax since 1922 and more recently has created separate taxes for confectionary and sugary drinks. Norwegians are eating less sugar than at any time in the last 44 years, the health directorate in Oslo has said, announcing that annual consumption per person had fallen by more than 1kg a year since 2000.
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As the Coca-Cola trucks start out on their annual tour of UK cities, the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) has warned parents not to allow their children to develop a taste for the drinks that are handed out free of charge at each location. The drinks company website says: “The iconic Coca-Cola Christmas truck tour will be back for 2019, spreading holiday magic across UK.”
Read more: What’s big and red and goes up and down at Christmas?
The NHS is looking to extend a temporary fix for pension tax issues to GPs and dentists, who currently aren’t covered by the government’s pledge to cover any bills arising this year FTAdviser has reported. But the NHS said “we will need to work through the detailed implementation mechanism with GPs and dentists, and their representative bodies.”
Read more: NHS looking for temporary ‘fix’ on pensions for GPs and dentists
A new campaign is calling for a national shift towards “Slow Dentistry”. The Swiss-based movement is claiming that rushed appointments endanger patients and increase infection risks. But BDA Chair Mick Armstrong has said, in a letter to the Sunday Telegraph, the sad fact is that “Fast Dentistry” is the reality for NHS patients across England and Wales.
The Derby Telegraph has reported that Colin Vernall, who was fined £7,000 last year for illegal tooth whitening, is continuing to offer it after a ‘sting’ operation by an undercover reporter, after the paper saw we saw he was still offering the unlicensed service on Facebook. The report contains a full transcript of the interview, which gives some insight into the accused’s thinking.
Read more: Derby man, fined for illegal teeth whitening, caught doing it again
Much media attention across the country has followed the publication of figures from the BDA which indicate that access problems for NHS dental services are now blighting communities across every English region. GDPC Chair Dave Cottam said: “Underfunding, failed contracts and recruitment problems are creating a perfect storm for patients.”
Read more: NHS dentistry ‘a perfect storm for patients’ says BDA
The Labour Party has published its General Election manifesto promising, on health, to repair ‘our health services’, with their urgent priority being to end NHS ‘privatisation’. Our mission is to create the conditions to prevent illness and enable people to live longer, healthier lives, they say. They have also promised to provide free annual NHS dental check-ups.
The headlines of the Conservative Party General Election manifesto are: “Get Brexit Done: Unleash Britain’s Potential” and these themes dominate the message. They claim that “a Conservative Government will give the public services the resources they need,” but there are few pledges as far as primary care is concerned and no mention of dentistry.
Read more: Boris Johnson launches Conservative Party manifesto
A new round of strikes have been announced by the Universities and Colleges Union (UCU), starting on 25 November. One dispute centres on changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) and a separate dispute relating to universities’ failure to make improvements on pay, equality, casualisation and workloads.
Read more: University lecturers to launch fresh strike action