The map of Britain is covered with dental deserts. There is an access crisis. Desperate patients are taking their own teeth out. MPs post bags are heaving with letters from constituents who can‘t get to see a dentist.
No comments
The statistics are familiar. The ones about children being hospitalised for general anaesthetic dental extractions. The millions unable to see a dentist in the last two years. The numbers of desperate people carrying out DIY dentistry. But even fixing the access crisis, a challenge that has defeated a succession of ministers and overwhelmed successive initiatives and recovery plans, will not be enough.
The GDC is having a spring clean of its fitness to practise (FTP) decision-making guidance. The latest aspect to be reviewed is that designed to assist their decisions on voluntary removal on the Registrar‘s behalf.
The Dental Defence Union‘s (DDU) membership team training scheme has for the fifth time attained prestigious recognition in the form of a Princess Royal Training Award.
Read more: Dental Defence Union Parent Wins Princess Royal Award
Sixty years on and after a few false dawns, we could be about to see skill mix take finally off in UK dentistry. The latest GDC registration figures show a clear trend that will support such changes.
Reports of illegal practice from the UK and further afield tend to involve unqualified individuals delivering dentisry- anything ranging from whitening, to operative procedures such as veneers. But a recent case in Wigan involved a qualified operator, he just happened to have the wrong qualification.
The recently triumphant Prime Minister has had to abandon his summer holiday after widespread unrest and rioting. Now there are signs that the Governments NHS honeymoon may be coming to a cheerless end.
We now know that the promised discussions between the profession and Department of Health and Social Care are under way to try and make progress on NHS dental contract reform. The first meeting has taken place between Shawn Charlwood, Eddie Crouch, and Stephen Kinnock, Minister of State with responsibility for primary care.
The handling of a recent Freedom of Information (FOI) request has shown the GDC demonstrating their love hate relationship with the concepts of trust and transparency. That the FOI was related to an area where the GDC‘s performance has been recognised as particularly poor, underlines the gulf between what they say and what they do.