LONDON, December 16 /PRNewswire/ -- An influential panel of dental stakeholders meeting in Westminster this week were unanimous in their view that the recession will significantly impact the attraction and retention of overseas dentists who have been seen as one answer to the access problems for NHS dentistry.
The panel also agreed that while the new dental reforms had put the power to plan health services into the hands of local NHS Trusts, this had resulted in a patchwork system which no longer justified the title of a National Health Service for dentistry.
Nor will the credit crunch see a rush of private dentists seeking to return to the NHS, said Dr Eddie Crouch, a Birmingham dentist whose Judicial Review challenging aspects of the new NHS dental contract was upheld in the Appeal Court this week.
The polyclinics proposed as the way forward for NHS primary care, may be hard-pressed to function without dentists willing to work to the new target-oriented contracts. They will be nothing more than white elephants. Dental patients that were surveyed expressed a preference for being treated in traditional practices by a dentist they knew, said Anthony Halperin of the Patients Association. The reality is that Primary Care Trusts are under-funded. He also said that the government only listened to its Chief Dental Officer, Barry Cockcroft, and unfortunately 'his views are somewhat blinkered'.
Roger Matthews, Chief Dental Officer of Denplan, the dental plan provider and host of the debate, said: The new contracts put dentists in a position of meeting targets related to units of activity and greater patient numbers. This is having a negative impact on the NHS dental service, treating neither patients nor dentists fairly.
About the Denplan Political Debate http://www.denplan.co.uk
The debate was held in Westminster, London, with the theme: Behind the political rhetoric, what does the government really want for NHS dentistry?.
The panel included:
- Nigel Carter, MD British Dental Health Foundation
- Anthony Halperin, Chairman, Patients Association
- Kevin Lewis, Dental Director, Dental Protection Ltd
- Martyn Whiteman, Dental lawyer, Howell-Jones
- Dr Roger Matthews, Chief Dental Officer, Denplan
- Chair: David Phillips, Chairman, Denplan
- Dr Eddie Crouch, Dentist
For more information contact: Louise Ellis or Sarah Miles, Lawton, t. +44-(0)23-8082-8500, e. louise.ellis@lawton.co.uk. Aideen Kavanagh, Denplan Press Office, t: +44-(0)1962-827-997, e: pressofffice@denplan.co.uk
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