As Local Dental Committees (LDCs) we often only have a limited opportunity to convey straight to the heart of government our experiences of NHS dentistry in England, and how the system could be improved. But now is your chance to tell those in power what is wrong with NHS dentistry, and what we can do to fix it.
Following lobbying by our representatives, the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee has announced a formal inquiry into NHS dentistry, and anyone can have their say.
By responding to this inquiry, you can tell the Government exactly what you think of NHS dentistry and what needs to happen to ensure we can do the very best for our patients.
Responses are limited to just 4000 words though, so you will have to choose your words wisely!
Time is short – you only have until 13 September and the more LDCs that contribute, the greater will be our impact – so let's not be silent.
The questions being posed include:
- What is the state of the relationship between the NHS and dentistry?
- How satisfactory are the arrangements for the provision of dental services by the NHS?
- Are current arrangements contributing to the widening of health inequality?
- How could access to NHS dentistry be improved?
- What issues are affecting the wider dental workforce?
- What needs to be included in, or removed from, the forthcoming NHS dental contract?
- Is there enough focus on prevention in dentistry and what are the avoidable harms that could be addressed?
Please raise this with your LDC, discuss these issues, and respond before the deadline – you just need to submit via the Committee's online portal.
A full list of the questions is available on the Committee's website and you can contact the BDA if you need any advice or guidance.
The BDA will also be providing a full response on behalf of the profession, so please email a copy of your response to them too, as this will help make a stronger, collective case for change.
Leah Farrell, LDC Conference Chair
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