The LDC Confederation submitted evidence to the Health and Social Care Committee’s Inquiry into Integrated Care Systems (ICS) making the case that meaningful reform of NHS dentistry is needed if ICSs are to work effectively.
The LDC Confederation argued the case for the transition of dental commissioning to Integrated Care Boards (ICB) to be the stimulus to meaningful contract reform. The dental contract remains the single greatest barrier to effective NHS dental care. With the ICBs taking responsibility for reducing health inequalities and improving health outcomes they will need a dental contract which supports these objectives.
The key points from the submission included:
- Member LDCs have enjoyed early engagement with ICBs but all LDCs need to be recognised as key local stakeholders and if necessary made into statutory members of committees;
- Dental commissioning teams must be safeguarded from any redundancies and instead grown as ICBs will need their expertise;
- The ICB needs to take a leading role in communicating with patients.
The full submission is available on the Health and Social Care Committee website.
