Agenda item

Presentation by the Strategic Head of Dental Contracting (Primary Care), North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board and Consultant in Dental Public Health, NHS England – North East and Yorkshire

The Strategic Head of Dental Contracting (Primary Care), North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board and Consultant in Dental Public Health, NHS England – North East and Yorkshire gave a presentation (previously circulated) updating Members on NHS Dental Services.

The presentation provided Members with details of commissioned capacity in Darlington, including the Urgent Dental Access Centre (UDAC) which opened in June 2024; and reference was made to the NHS dentistry challenges.

It was reported that the challenges would be tackled in three streams; immediate actions to stabilise services, a more strategic approach to workforce and service Delivery and developing an oral health strategy to improve oral health and reduce the pressure on dentistry. Details were provided on the Dental Recovery Programme, with Members noting the limited uptake by dentists in Darlington for the incentivised access scheme. Reference was also made to the pilot of an urgent dental access centre in Darlington which offered 28 urgent appointments per day and had been delivering above commissioned capacity, at 104 per cent. Details were also provided of the transformation and sustainability plan, including an uplift in the local minimum unit of dental activity (UDA).

Members were informed of the NHS Dental Recruitment Incentive Scheme which was being considered as part of the wider recovery programme to recruit and retain dentists; and details were provided of the work undertaken to develop a system wide strategy to improve oral health and reduce pressure on NHS dental services.

The presentation provided details of the oral health improvement initiatives in Darlington, including supervised toothbrushing activity, oral health training for Health Visitors, public health teams and health and social care staff and investment in oral health promotion resources. Reference was also made to the dental access referral pathway for children in care and the positive impacts from this pathway.

The Chief Executive Officer, Healthwatch Darlington informed Members of the work being undertaken by Healthwatch to capture the voice of the community in relation to dental services. A survey undertaken in 2024 identified that 75 per cent of dental practices contacted did not offer NHS appointments and that only 9 per cent of NHS practices offered a same or next day appointment. Members also noted that a survey was undertaken on patients attending the UDAC in Darlington. It was reported that 87.5 per cent of patients did not have regular dental care, with some patients having gone ten or more years without seeing a dentist.

Discussion ensued regarding the limited uptake of incentivised access appointments and signposting to dental services. Members were advised that a dedicated dental comms lead was in place to improve communications; that all dental practices were aware of the incentivised scheme; and patients should be signposted to the NHS UK website. It was reiterated that the 111 service should only be used for those with urgent needs.

Members questioned the relevance of the evaluation of the dental access referral pathway for children in care given the data was out of date and were informed of the purpose of the evaluation, which established that the pathway was effective and necessary.

Members raised concerns and highlighted the need for improved communication regarding the impact of high sugar diets on oral health and noted that there was a dedicated oral health promotion team in Darlington; that additional funding was provided for the toothbrush programme in preschool settings; and that the school oral health programme, which was taught via the PSHE curriculum, included a healthy eating component. Members sought clarification regarding resources for parents.

Members acknowledged the challenges being faced by NHS dentistry and were advised that the despite the ‘Golden Hello’ and a range of other incentives such as relocation packages, there were continued recruitment and retention challenges; and that contract reform, providing more flexibility to dental providers, would help address this challenge.

RESOLVED – That the Strategic Head of Dental Contracting (Primary Care), North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board and Consultant in Dental Public Health, NHS England – North East and Yorkshire be thanked for their informative update.