Speaking at the BDA Conference in Manchester, health minister, Earl Howe outlined a future programme for development of the GDS contract. Change would be evolutionary not revolutionary, he said, “We need to get it right. New "prototype" contracts will be introduced in 2015 following a consultation this summer, in which all dentists are urged to participate.
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The General Dental Council (GDC) has welcomed the publication of the draft Law Commission review of Professional Regulation on 2 April 2014. In 2011 the Law Commission was tasked with creating a single streamlined legal structure covering all nine healthcare regulators, in order to provide better protection for patients by enabling regulators to act more quickly and efficiently.
The DailyTelegraph has published a survey of private dental fees compiled by WhatClinic.com, a private health care online search engine. It showed that the cost of private dental care can vary by as much as 347pc depending on where patients live in the UK. It’s described as ‘a postcode lottery’ and a classic sign of an ‘inefficient market’, according to some experts.
The Association of Dental Groups (ADG), the professional body that represents corporate and group dentistry providers, has made African-based Bridge2Aid one of their key charity partners for the next 12 months and has made a substantial donation to the organisation.
Oasis Healthcare has struck a deal that will bring Smiles Dental into its portfolio for an undisclosed sum. CEO Justin Ash says it will enter ‘the attractive dental market in the Republic of Ireland’. Oasis’s turnover will increase from £160 million to over £210 million, providing dental care to over 2.5 million patients, as their practice network grows by 37% from 204 to 281.
Nearly one fifth (19%) of the British public people believe they would benefit from orthodontic treatment according to a new survey. When asked what mattered most when choosing treatment, quality was rated as the most important aspect (90%), followed by cost (85%) and access to a specialist locally (82%). Treatment time was rated last at 73%.
Read more: British public rates quality of orthodontic treatment
The Oral Health and Performance in Sport conference in London heard that elite athletes could stand a better chance of winning gold medals if they look after their teeth. Athletes' oral health was often bad and could impair training and performance. At the pinnacle of elite sport, the difference between winning and losing is tiny, so even marginal improvements can make a crucial difference.
Defibrillators are to be installed in every NHS dental practice across Scotland to help save more people who have a heart attack in the community. Health Minister Michael Matheson said: “There are almost 1000 NHS dental practices in the centre of Scottish communities. By giving them this equipment we are providing 1000 more chances to save a life. I believe that this investment will save many more lives.”
The British Dental Association (BDA) has condemned a Department of Health (DH) announcement that the salary of dental foundation trainees (DFTs) is to be reduced in the future. Dr Mick Armstrong, Chair of the BDA’s Principal Executive Committee, said that the proposal would sound alarm bells across the profession. “Targeting those at the start of their careers,” he commented, “will appear to many as an attempt to prey on the most vulnerable members of the profession. We will oppose such an attack vigorously.”