Dental Practice March 2010

DENTAL PRACTICE
Providing information, direction, education and entertainment for the dental team
Tories say no to Steele pilots
Vol. 48, No. 3 MARCH 2010
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
M
ISCHIEVOUS was how the for the procedures they perform”. to NHS denti sts,
CLINICAL
shadow health minister Mike Penning pointed out that this introducing
Correcting severe anterior
Mike Penning described is somewhat diﬀ erent from changes pati ent
the Government’s acti on in setti ng envisaged by the Steele Review. registrati on,
spacing...page 16
up a board to implement the Steele Aft er the general electi on, very measuring
proposals. diﬀ erent pilots would be devised quality as well
The Department of Health has if the Conservati ves form the as quanti ty of
called for expressions of interest Government, he said. treatment and
in pilots from both denti sts and encouraging
primary care trusts. These are New board denti sts to
Mike Penning
scheduled to start in the autumn, by Despite the imminence of the carry out more
which ti me the general electi on will electi on, however, the Department preventi ve work.
have taken place. of Health has announced the Speaking aft er the General
Mike Penning told Dental Practi ce setti ng up of a dental board to Dental Practi ce Committ ee’s ﬁ rst
COMPETITION
that he was broadly supporti ve of take forward the Steele Review meeti ng of 2010, John Milne
See the winning
much that was in the Steele review, recommendati ons. It will be chaired said: “Good progress has been photographs...page 18
but that the Conservati ves would by its director of primary care, Ben made on the process of taking
be piloti ng their own ideas for Dyson, a senior civil servant. forward the recommendati ons of
reform which were outlined in their Professor Jimmy Steele has joined Professor Steele’s review with the
policy document, Transforming NHS the implementati on board as have establishment of working groups
Denti stry, published last May. chief dental oﬃ cer Barry Cockcroft to consider diﬀ erent aspects of the
This proposed scrapping the and John Milne, chair of the General reforms.
existi ng dental contract and Dental Practi ce Committ ee. “The Department of Health has
replacing it with one based on The implementati on board is a chance to create a system that
pati ent registrati on. now inviti ng denti sts and PCTs “to really works and the profession is
The Conservati ves intend to trial innovati ve ways of delivering keen to help them do that. The way
FOCUS
reward NHS denti sts for preventi ve services to improve treatment to achieve that is conti nued and
Cosmetic dentistry
acti vity. The policy says: “we want for pati ents by creati ng a system detailed dialogue. Importantly, the
...page 22
denti sts to be paid according to the focused on outcomes”. process must also be given the ti me
actual health outcomes they secure The pilots will look at a range of it needs.”
for pati ents, not for meeti ng targets issues, including increasing access • More: Michael Watson, page 4.
Ireland sees a rise in dental costs
F
IGURES recently announced Fintan Hourihan, chief executi ve the previous year. The measures
PRODUCTS
show a massive rise reported of the Irish Dental Associati on, announced in the Irish budget last
A host of new dental
in dental costs in Ireland, said denti sts were ﬁ ghti ng to keep December included the beneﬁ ts
which appears to be a direct costs to pati ents as low as possible. in the state scheme for those in
products...page 28
result of the removal in January “Denti sts’ incomes are being cut in a employment restricted to cover free
of subsidies for the cost of dental variety of ways but I know members examinati on.
treatment. are trying to avoid passing on extra Spending on those enti tled to
The Irish Central Stati sti cs Oﬃ ce costs to pati ents. Ironically, it’s free treatment is restricted to 2008
reported a 15.3 per cent year-on- denti sts and not the Government levels, a reducti on in spending of
year increase in dental fees from who will probably bear the criti cism about a third. Finally salaries for
January 2009 to January 2010. for this but it’s the Government’s public dental surgeons and other
The monthly ﬁ gures show that the fault,” he said. state-employed denti sts are to fall by
cost of dental services increased Other ﬁ gures though indicate between ﬁ ve and eight per cent.
by nearly 13 per cent between that over the past 12 months or so, In the UK, during the run-up to the
EVENT PREVIEW
December 2009 and January 2010. and prior to the removal of state electi on all parti es are promising to
The Dentistry Show
Overall health costs rose by 2.2 per subsidies, denti sts were increasing protect NHS spending. However, in ...page 42
cent in the same period, due to their charges, in spite of the view of a budget deﬁ cit expected
an increase in costs for dental and recession and general deﬂ ati onary to be more than £170 billion in the
opti cal services. trends in most consumer sectors. current ﬁ nancial year, one of the
However, there is now evidence Data for December 2009 showed highest of any major economy, cuts
that following the removal of that dental services were the may be inevitable this year and
subsidies, denti sts are now starti ng only area of healthcare apart certainly will come next. These could
to reduce their private fees in a bid from hospital charges and health impact on dental services here as
to hold on to their pati ents. insurance that had risen over they did in Ireland.
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