Rise in people visiting dentists

THOUSANDS more people are seeing an NHS dentist in Oldham than before the Government’s reforms in April 2006, new figures have revealed.

Figures for Oldham Primary Care Trust show that in the two years to March, 2006, a total of 122,975 people saw an NHS dentist — 89,287 adults and 33,688 children — 56 per cent of the area’s population.

In the two years to December, 2007, that had increased to 67.8 per cent of the population of Oldham, with 89,813 adults and 37,366 children seeing an NHS dentist, a total of 127,179 and an increase of 4,303.

New dental contracts came into force on April 1, 2006. They were designed to increase numbers of people seeing NHS dentists by putting primary care trusts in charge of commissioning services.

However, the Oldham figures buck the national trend which has seen 880,845 fewer people see a dentist over the same period, according to the Information Centre for Health and Social Care.

Shauna Dixon, director of clinical leadership for Oldham Primary Care Trust, said: “We are pleased that the numbers of people in Oldham who are able to access a dentist is increasing. We believe this is as a result of our ongoing commitment to ensuring access to NHS dentistry.

“In April, 2007, Oldham PCT committed nearly £1 million of new funding. Since the introduction of the new contract, the PCT has already opened three new practices in Moorside, Glodwick and Springhead. These three practices have the collective capacity to see around an additional 10,000 people a year, depending on patient needs.

“Other plans include supporting a number of dentists interested in expanding.”

Under the contracts, dentists receive an annual income for an agreed level of patient care, measured through overall courses of treatment rather than individual items.

However, there has been a reduction in services in some areas caused by dentists refusing to sign contracts and leaving the NHS to go private.

A report by MPs yesterday said the changes in the way dentists were paid meant they have no financial incentive to give appropriate treatment. The Commons Health Select Committee said access remained “patchy” but the Department of Health insisted the reforms were starting to work.

l Anyone aged 18 or over experiencing dental pain can contact the in-hours emergency dental service Monday to Friday, 9-5pm, on 0161-909 8115. Anyone looking for a new NHS dentist can contact the PCT’s dental line on 0161-622 6508 from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, or log on to www.nhs.uk.