LDC Confederation: “Meaningful change is needed”

In January 2023 the LDC Confederation submitted evidence to the Health and Social Care Committee’s Inquiry into NHS Dental Services making the case for meaningful long term change.

The LDC Confederation set out clear steps that can be taken to improve NHS dental services, using real examples from members’ engagement to support recommendations.

The key recommendations from the evidence submission included:
In the short term:

  • Integrated Care Boards and Local Care Partnerships must ensure that Local Dental Committees are engaged in all local care plans.
  • Discussions on access to be premised on need, not on meeting recall guidelines or other criteria which do not reflect an individual patient’s health status.
  • Improved use of language so that everyone is clear that primary care includes all four primary care professions and not only general medical practice.

In the medium term:

  • All dental care professionals involved in the delivery of NHS primary dental care to have access to NHS benefits.
  • If water fluoridation is pursued, for it to be accompanied by an appropriate public awareness campaign and investment in dental services to meet the anticipated increase in demand created by increased awareness.

In the long term:

  • Full contract reform developed in partnership with the British Dental Association.
  • An ambitious restructure of NHS dentistry, which takes into account the new strategic priorities of the NHS and allows NHS dental services to play its part in reducing health inequalities and improving health outcomes.

The full submission is available on the Health and Social Care Committee website.