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Government appoints independent group to review NHS Dentistry

An independent review team to help improve access for patients who want to see an NHS dentist was appointed today by Health Secretary Alan Johnson.

Increased investment in NHS dentistry has seen improvements in some parts of the country but access remains a problem in some areas. The review team will investigate why there are variations in access and advise how everyone who wants to see an NHS dentist can do so.

The team will also advise the Government how the NHS can deliver continuous improvements in the quality of care.

Its key aims are to:

• Identify ways the Government and local NHS can work together to increase access to NHS dentists and improve quality of services
• Investigate whether the decline in complex treatments reflects the clinical needs of patients
• Suggest how the Government can build on its work to reduce inequalities in oral health and ensure that dentists provide the right level of preventative work
• Recommend how funding for dentistry should be allocated to local Primary Care Trusts according to the size and particular needs of the local population
• Identify how, over the next five years, developments in workforce planning, training, and regulation can best support the provision of high-quality dental services and enhance the working lives of dental professionals
• Recommend how the Government can best address the issues raised in the Health Select Committee's 2008 report on dentistry including the suggestion that more treatment bands are introduced.

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