Clinical p17 | Communication p31 |


News


IDA group grills minister on country’s oral health


A delegation from the Irish Dental Association (IDA) met with the new government minister responsible for primary care recently to put forward a detailed briefing on the state of oral health in the country.


Among the topics brought before Alex White, the new Minister of State with responsi- bility for Primary Care, were the current plight of the state-run dental schemes, the role of dentists in health promotion and prevention, the current situation in the HSE, the new Dental BIll and the ongoing lack of a chief dental officer.


Meeting. Problems with the state schemes, the new Dental Bill and the vacant CDO post are all discussed


The delegation consisted of IDA president-elect Dr Sean Malone; IDA GP group chairman Dr Peter Gannon; IDA honorary treasurer Dr Ray McCarthy; Cahir GDP Dr Ryan Hennessy; IDA employment and commu- nications officer Clare Dowling; and the IDA’s chief executive officer Fintan Hourihan. The group highlighted the crisis in oral health brought about by the removal of preventive and restorative


BDA campaign goes up a gear


PETITION


The British Dental Associa- tion (BDA) in Northern Ireland has upped its campaign against proposed cuts to NHS dentistry with the launch of a petition to focus public opposition.


The proposals, published for consultation by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, will limit the health service care available to patients by moving to a core service of treatments, restricting the frequency of scaling and polishing, moving to IOTN 3.6 for orthodontic treatments, changing the eligibility for the practice allowance and removing commitment payments to dentists. The BDA is encouraging practices across Northern Ireland to make the petition


available in their waiting area for patients to sign along- side posters and leaflets explaining the proposed cuts and what they could mean for patients and practices. Dr Peter Crooks, Chair of BDA Northern Ireland Dental Practice Committee, said: “These proposals fail patients, undermine busi- nesses and strike at the heart of dentists improving oral health in Northern Ireland.”


Ireland’s Dental magazine 11


elements of the state schemes, emphasising the clinical impor- tance and financial benefits for the state of maintaining good oral health. The minister, who is a Labour TD for Dublin South, heard how the IDA had with- drawn its support for the DTSS in January 2012 and listened to the association’s principles for a new scheme. In response, the minister indicated that the IDA will be a “crucial player in modelling a new scheme”.


Sex change challenge


LEGAL BID


A retired dentist from Co Kildare has launched a new legal challenge to have her birth certificate changed to reflect her female gender.


Dr Lydia Foy, who was born and raised male but under- went gender reassignment in the early 1990s, won a High Court case five years ago


The delegation also spoke about the effect the morato- rium on recruitment has had on the HSE dental services with the minister expressing concern with the current situa- tion. The Dublin South TD also advised the IDA group that the consultation papers for the new Dental Bill are currently being drafted and that he would like to meet with the IDA again as part of the consulta- tion process.


He also said that he was “very aware” of the issue of the vacant CDO post and indicated that he would like to see the role filled “as soon as possible”.


where it was found the state had violated her rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.


It is 20 years since Dr Foy, 65, first applied for a new birth certificate and 16 years since she began legal proceed- ings to secure recognition of her acquired gender. She legally changed her name in November 1993 and was able to obtain a passport, driving licence, medical card and polling card in her new name. However, she has been unable to get a new birth certificate.


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