It remains unclear whether Health Service dentistry can survive this pandemic. However, ahead of the Assembly Elections in May, our Manifesto for Rebuilding and Reforming Dentistry makes clear to all parties what is required to reform and rebuild the service.
Our manifesto clearly outlines the problems we are facing, and most importantly, the solutions.
We need:
- Firm foundations: We must put the necessary resources in place to underpin the recovery, and parallel development of a new General Dental Services Contract
- A sustainable workforce: We must develop a dental Workforce Strategy that's fit for the future, so Northern Ireland has the dentists it needs
- Action on inequalities: We need investment to save with an ambitious Oral Health Strategy to deliver better oral health for all.
Speaking to representatives from all parties, Roz McMullan Past-President of the BDA said: "We need an NHS dental practice contract to deliver NHS dental care which is prevention based and values high-quality care to all who need it. It needs to deliver better outcomes for our population, while also being financially viable to deliver.
"We need to know where and how to focus a limited budget to get the best outcomes and we need vision and new thinking to deliver new models of care across the entire dental system."
Our manifesto makes clear why rebuilding and reforming dentistry must be prioritised, the work of our dental professionals must be valued, and investment must be made in delivering better oral health for all.