In reply to a question by dentist peer Baroness Gardner of Parkes, health minister Earl Howe revealed the cost to be £3.1 million for minor extractions and £27.4 million for multiple teeth – a total of £30.5 million. The data covers all tooth extractions in hospital, and does not distinguish between deciduous or adult teeth.
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Professor Philip John Lamey has been struck off by the General Dental Council (GDC) following a public hearing into multiple allegations of poor care, patient management and record keeping. Of 215 allegations, 110 were found proved. The proven facts in this case relate to the treatment of 27 patients between 2006 and 2010. They relate to a period when he was working as a Consultant in Oral Medicine at the School of Dentistry, Belfast.
The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) has welcomed the oral health survey of 3-year-olds. Claire Stevens, a Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry said: “While the majority of pre-school age children in England are dentally healthy, there are still thousands of children as young as three who are undergoing multiple extractions under a general anaesthetic due to a disease that is entirely preventable.”
A new survey by Public Health England (PHE) shows that 12% of 3 year olds have visible tooth decay. Although the large majority of children (88%) are free from decay, there was wide variation from 2% - 34%. Dr Sandra White, Director of Dental Public Health at PHE, said: “Tooth decay is an entirely preventable disease, which can be very painful and even result in a child having teeth removed under general anaesthetic, which is stressful for children and parents alike.”
There was a drop in taxable income for GDPs England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in 2012-13. This is according to data published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC). Their figures show that this was due to gross earnings decreasing more than total expenses and is in line with the general trend since 2006-07.
Figures released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) show that GDPs worked on average 37-38 hours a week, with some variation across the UK. Principal dentists work longer than associates in all three countries, but the ratio of NHS to private work varied in England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland
Neil Marshall, the Director of Regulation will be leaving the GDC on 28 November, having accepted redundancy. Changes to the top management team mean the creation two separate directorates; one to cover Registration and Operational Excellence, the other to include Fitness to Practise and Illegal Practice, each led by a director who will be members of the Executive Management Team.
At its' 18th September meeting, the General Dental Council (GDC) had on its agenda a paper on the results of the recent ARF consultation. It was listed to be 'considered'. However before any discussion could take place the chairman, William Moyes, said that any discussion should be deferred until the October meeting when the decision on the ARF will be made. None of the members, either dental or lay, raised any objections to this course of action.
The British Dental Association (BDA) has responded to publication of responses to the General Dental Council’s (GDC) consultation on proposed increases to the annual retention fee (ARF). The data shows that 97% of respondents have rejected the GDC’s proposed 64% fee rise. An overwhelming majority have also questioned the regulator’s justification for any fee rise, and the measures it has taken to cut costs.
Read more: Your verdict on the GDC: Unfit, unfair and unresponsive