Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

continued from page 1DTß flawed and out of date. The Steele Review, which was com- missioned by the last govern- ment, has already addressed the concerns raised around the 2006 NHS Contracts and a re- placement proposal is already being piloted. The results of this will be used to help shape the future of the way NHS den- tistry is delivered. “The recommendation for the GDC to require that pri- vate practices display a pricing structure is irrelevant. A den- tist should provide a patient with a treatment plan, and as each patient’s plan is different, fixed pricing will lead to confu- sion and the possibility of disap- pointed patient expectations. “The report suggests that patients should be given direct access to dental hygienist and therapists. And whilst sup- porting this recommendation, as we believe it may facilitate better understanding of oral health and encourage new pa- tients and more referrals to the dentist, it must be done under caution. “This report should not be taken as cure-all for the future of dentistry in the UK and if taken in isolation it does not de- liver a satisfactory solution for the patients or the dental health profession. The findings of the OFT report need to be included and reviewed as a part of the education, research and change which needs to happen to deliv- er the best quality dental care.” David Worskett, Chair of the Association of Dental Groups (ADG) said: “The Association of Dental Groups, which repre- sents the larger corporate pro- viders of dentistry and Dental Groups, welcomes the OFT’s market study of dentistry in the UK and supports many of its key conclusions. “In particular, ADG mem- bers, who account for some 10 per cent of NHS dentistry, sup- port provision of clearer pricing information and are pleased to have been able to reach agree- ment with the OFT on ways of extending and improving this. “The ADG supports the OFT’s emphasis on choice and competition in dentistry. Mem- bers welcome the emphasis in the report on improving entry to the market for new provid- ers and the support the OFT gives to increasing tendering. Long–term contracts facilitate investment and continuity of pa- tient care but must not prevent commissioners from tackling poor quality. The OFT’s recom- mendations to the sector and to the Department of Health have the potential to improve qual- ity for patients and help to drive up standards, particularly when taken in conjunction with the new NHS dental contract, which addresses many of the worst problems identified by the OFT in the current arrangements. “Clinical opinion in the UK remains divided over the issue of direct access to some dental services and the ADG believes that it is clinical considerations that should determine whether to go down this route. The ADG therefore awaits with interest the work already being under- taken by the GDC on this. “It is of course vital that im- proper practices are driven out of UK dentistry and the OFT is completely right to draw atten- tion to the worst types of abuse. ADG members already have very high standards of clini- cal and corporate governance designed to prevent abuse and protect patients. “However it is welcome news that the level of abusive practices is put into perspec- tive by the very high levels of patient satisfaction and in practice there is already con- siderable choice and com- petition on the high street, bringing real benefits to pa- tients. The ADG agrees with the OFT that the overall assessment of the market does not require or justify a referral to the Competition Commission.” DT It has been agreed that GP’s should be spared the fee to register with CQC 6 News United Kingdom Edition June 4-10, 2012 A ccording to a recent re- port, it has been agreed by the local medical committee’s conference that GP practices should not have to pay for CQC (Care Quality Commis- sion) registration. North Yorkshire GP Brian McGregor said in the report that GP practices were “already sub- jected to oversight from 28 or- ganisations and the CQC would become the twenty-ninth as of next April.” Dr McGregor won support for his demand that registration should not impose any expense on practices. He said: “It’s a bit like medi- eval times, giving a piece of sil- ver to the axe-man to ensure the sweep was sure. The ultimate cost of registration should not fall on GPs.” The report also quoted Gloucestershire GP Steve Alvis, who said he did not want his GP practice to become a stark envi- ronment, “with plastic flooring replacing carpet in a bid to meet CQC standards.” GPC contracts and regula- tion subcommittee chair John Canning reportedly said it was ‘claptrap’ that GP practices will have to replace carpets and that when CQC begins consulting fees for CQC registration, GPs and local medical committees should respond by telling them exactly what they think. According to the report, the conference called on the CQC to use transparent and evidence- based criteria when deciding which GP practices to inspect and reiterated its belief that reg- istration was a bridge too far. DT GPs draw the line at CQC reg fee payment T he former dean of Dundee Dental School and chair of the Dental Schools Council, Professor Wil- liam Saunders has received the first ever Scottish Dental Life- time Achievement Award pay- ing tribute to his commitment to the dental industry in Scotland. Professor Saunders has made a substantial contribution to dentistry in Scotland over many years and has been pivotal in the development of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. He also sits as a council member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Four of Scotland’s top dental professionals were nominated for the award - Professor Saun- ders was up against Dr Graham McKirdy from Glasgow, Edin- burgh’s Dr Jim Rennie CBE and Dr Hew Mathewson CBE. Fel- low industry professionals voted online making Professor Saun- ders the clear winner. He received the accolade at an evening drinks reception dur- ing the inaugural Scottish Den- tal Show at Glasgow’s Hampden Park on Thursday 24 May. BBC sports pundit Chick Young, who entertained guests with dental tales and football anecdotes, pre- sented the trophy. Bruce Oxley, editor of Scot- tish Dental magazine, organis- ers of the Scottish Dental Show and Scottish Dental Lifetime Achievement Award 2012, said: “Professor Saunders fellow pro- fessionals admired his continued commitment and his exceptional academic work making him a worthy winner of the first Scot- tish Dental Lifetime Achieve- ment Award. “Employing more than 10,000 professionals in Scotland, dentistry is a significant industry and Professor Saunders influ- ential work can ensure that the country continues to produce the very finest graduates.” The award was one of the highlights of the Scottish Dental Show, where more than 100 ex- hibitors representing the cream of the UK dental trade have been showcasing the latest innova- tions, product developments, services and launches. Created by the Connect Pub- lications a subsidiary of Scot- land’s largest contract publisher Connect Communications and the publishers of Scottish Den- tal magazine, the free event is providing up to 12 hours of veri- fiable CPD through speaker ses- sions and hands-on workshops. The Minister for Public Health, Michael Matheson MSP officially opened the show. DT All smiles as professor scoops Lifetime Achievement Award R ichard Howarth, a 45-year-old dentist from Smile Style Dental, is tak- ing up a fund-raising challenge to dive in a shark-infested tank! Richard, who has been invit- ed to do the charity event at the Blue Planet Aquarium, Manches- ter, will be cleaning the teeth of a shark named Storm, an 11.5ft Sand Tiger Shark who weighs in at a staggering 30 stone! For the challenge Richard, who is taking specialist training before spending half an hour in the chilly shark infested tank, will be equipped with a tooth- brush so he can clean Storm’s 46 razor-like teeth! Richard hopes to raise £2,000 through this challenge for the charity Dental Mavericks and their work to end the daily den- tal pain for Moroccan kids. The money will help buy a solar powered dental chair so that more conventional dental care can be provided rather than just extractions and fillings for the charity Dental Mavericks and their work to end the daily den- tal pain for Moroccan kids. Richard Howarth, who is a member of the Dental Mavericks Charity, is travelling to Morocco in September for eight days to treat children in severe dental pain with no access to dental care. Richard said: “The idea for this crazy dive came from a pa- tient of mine. I think they find it funny that I spend my life help- ing patients who are anxious and fearful. And for me to im- merse myself in the tank then the tables would be turned.” Richard has been invited to do the charity event at the Blue Planet Aquarium, Manchester from 1:00pm to 1:30pm on 8 June 2012. DT Dentist to clean shark’s teeth