VOLUME 47 NO 7 JULY 2009
dental practice
Providing information, direction, education and entertainment for the dental team
www.dental-practice.org
22,414 – independently
Entering an age
audited circulation
{1 Jan 2008-31 Dec 2008}
of uncertainty
IN THIS
ISSUE
Michael Watson looks at rows about NHS spending and a
Conservative policy document that will mean chaos in dentistry
Clinical
Restoration of
a uni-lateral
O
VER 200 years ago, borrowing on future public spending. aims is open to argument.
posterior
Benjamin Franklin wrote that Into this scenario comes the Their proposal for a system based on
maxilla with
“in this world nothing can be Conservative’s new policy document, registration with an emphasis on
an implant-
said to be certain, except death and which opens with a combative prevention is similar to that piloted
retained
taxes”. Following the recent local and statement: “We are proposing to scrap under Personal Dental Services (PDS)
bridge 14
European elections, we might add that Labour’s bureaucratic dental contract and before the current contract started.
a Conservative victory at the next restore the right for patients to register with These pilots were stopped in 2005
general election is a racing certainty. dentists. To achieve this, we will use two stages largely because activity and patient
Course
We need therefore to look at their new of innovative reform designed to tackle the charge revenue dropped.
Seated four
policy document: Transforming NHS long-term drivers of bad oral health and the Unless some measure of chargeable
handed
dentistry, published in May. rising cost of remedial treatments.” activity such as UDAs is retained in
dentistry 30
But first before we look at how the any new system, revenue from patients
Conservatives will spend taxpayers’ Interesting timing will decline and the system will cost
Event
money on NHS dentistry, what are the The timing of its release is interesting more, something an incoming
The latest
prospects for public finances over the in that it came before Jimmy Steele had Conservative chancellor will not allow.
in implant
coming years whichever party is in reported [see page 2] and there is every To solve the access problem, the
dentistry
Government a year from now? indication that his report will be Conservatives will stop dentists
The NHS Confederation started the ignored by Mike Penning MP, the “recalling healthy patients for check-
at the ADI
ball rolling with a report entitled shadow health minister responsible for ups too frequently and charging the
congress 37
Dealing with the downturn. In this it said dentistry. There are no promises of NHS for courses of treatment
that the NHS was facing its “biggest additional funding; however, the policy unnecessarily”. The three-month – and
PLUS...
organisational and financial challenge says: “A way forward cannot be achieved by possibly the six-month – recall interval
ever”. In just under two years the NHS
Derek Watson 2
To solve the
will be out, but Dr Mike Warburton
will face the most severe constriction
access problem,
may pip them to the post on this one.
Roger Matthews 4
ever in its finances. In the five years
the Conservatives
However, their calculations show
from 2011 the impact of the recession,
Economic outlook for high
will stop dentists
that by removing these frequent recalls
street dentistry – part 2 6
allied to rising costs, means it is likely
“recalling healthy
they could, “at the very least, create
the NHS will face a real terms shortfall
The Lux Letter 7
patients for check-
enough extra capacity to treat a million
of £15 billion.
ups too frequently
more patients – enough to restore
Dental Photography 8
Last year the Government had
and charging the
dentist access to all those who have
promised that the ring-fencing of
Robinson’s Referrals 16
NHS for courses
lost it since Labour’s botched
dental funding would continue until
of treatment
reforms”.
Product Briefing 21
March 2011. In 2009/10 funding for
unnecessarily”.
dental services is due to rise by 8.5 per Power to penalty charge
Ten steps to success: part 4 24
cent taking total funding to £2.257 simply throwing more money into an The Conservatives say they would
HTM 01-05: are you ready? 26
billion. But it’s what happens after unreformed and failing system.” give dentists the power to charge
Martin Harrison 28
2011 that matters. Looking at the detail of the policy, patients who repeatedly miss
In a radio interview about the party’s two points stand out, namely a change appointments. They argue that if NHS CPD 31-32
spending plans, Tory health spokesman of emphasis towards prevention and dentists “were given back the freedom
Focus: Education 32
Andrew Lansley appeared to suggest the lack of any mention about patients’ to charge a fixed financial penalty for a
that, in order to protect “priority” charges. missed appointment, and assuming a
Coming Events 36
spending on the NHS and schools, a Almost every paper I have read prudent reduction in missed
Classifieds 38
future Conservative government would about reform of NHS dentistry or appointments of only 25 per cent as a
cut expenditure in other areas by a total reform of the NHS has stressed the result, the NHS could take in well over
of 10 per cent between 2011 and 2015. need for prevention. The current 100,000 additional patients each year”.
This figure was seized on by the contract is supposed to encourage I am not sure that this is true.
Win £150 Red Letter
Prime Minister who said that such a prevention, but few dentists say it does. Some things in the document Day vouchers in every
policy would lead to “massive” cuts in How it can be achieved is a matter for dentists will applaud. They will be
issue with our Reader
“vital” services. So we look set for a doubt. The Conservatives propose to allowed to have child-only contracts.
Enquiry Service. See
year of claim and counterclaim on the re-introduce school dental inspections, They will remove barriers to setting
effects of the recession and the massive but whether these will achieve their
page 4 for details.
Continued on page 4
DP July 09 front page.indd 1 24/6/09 10:45:31
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