Issue - items at meetings - Dental Services in Brighton & Hove

Information from NHS Brighton & Hove on city dental services. This item will be presented by Ms Anne Foster, NHS Brighton & Hove Strategic Director, Primary Care (copy attached)

68.1    This item was presented by Ms Geraldine Hoban, Deputy Director of Commissioning, NHS Brighton & Hove. (Anne Foster, Strategic Commissioner for Primary care at NHS Brighton & Hove had been due to present but was unable to attend due to illness).

68.2    In answer to questions from Mr Brown regarding additional investment in dental services, the number of additional patients treated, the cost per patient of treatment, provision for care homes and hospitals and the number of dental contracts suspended across the city, Ms Hoban told members that she would refer these issues to Ms Foster for a detailed written response.

68.3    In response to a question from Cllr Allen regarding what ‘levers’ the PCT had to encourage dental practices to operate in under-provided areas, Ms Hoban told members that PCTs had no powers to compel practices, but could try to attract dentists to specific areas, principally through sourcing suitable premises for dental practices.

68.4    In answer to a question from Cllr Marsh regarding the potential of negotiating with private dentists in under-provided areas to use part of their premises to deliver NHS care, Ms Hoban told the committee that the PCT had explored this notion, but that it was seldom very financially attractive to private practices unless the demographics of a local area provided the right mix of NHS and private patients.

68.5    In response to a question from Cllr Deane on dental outreach into schools, Ms Hoban told members that there was dental contact with schools, although this was focused on health promotion rather than on actual dental treatment.

68.6    In answer to a query from Cllr Rufus on whether there was unmet demand for NHS dental services in the city, Ms Hoban told members that this was difficult to quantify, but it was clear that there was dental capacity in Brighton & Hove that was going unused. The PCT was focusing its efforts on promoting use of dental services, with a particular concentration on those areas with fewest dental practices.

68.7    In response to a question from Cllr Harmer-Strange on special care dental services, Ms Hoban told members that the criteria for eligibility had been tightened in some respects for people who do not themselves have special care needs: for instance, the siblings of children who do require special care services. It was felt that generalist services would be more appropriate for these patients. However, the PCT was not anticipating any reduction in care for those who do require specialist care services.

68.8    In response to a question from the Chairman on the percentage of people who used private rather than NHS dental services, Ms Hoban told the committee that this data was not collected. However, the PCT was focusing resources on the most deprived areas of the city – i.e. areas in which it was very unlikely that a low rate of NHS use was due to a high level of private use.

68.9    The Chairman thanked Ms Hoban for her contribution.