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Michael Watson explains why the Gordon Pate case and the role of the GDC is so important. One hundred and forty years ago, Parliament passed the necessary legislation to set up a register of those entitled to call themselves ‘dentists’. Although at that time you could still ‘practice’ dentistry without being registered, provided you did…
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The NHS hasn’t been ‘free at the point of delivery’ since it was barely 15 months old, Michael Watson argues. Last weekend the ‘Our NHS is 70’ event took place in London and was supported by the British Medical Association (BMA), who took part in a march to Downing Street. BMA treasurer and Cardiff GP,…
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The NHS needs to make a clear statement over what it will and what it won’t provide, Michael Watson says. Kevin Lewis described the Annual Conference of Local Dental Committees as providing ‘a useful finger on the pulse’ of NHS dentistry. So a couple of weeks ago I was on my way to Stansted airport…
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Direct access and more therapists are required to solve the staffing crisis in dentistry, Michael Watson says. At the end of last week, the Home Office announced that doctors and nurses are to be excluded from the cap on skilled worker visas. There will therefore be no restriction on the numbers of doctors and nurses…
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Michael Watson details exactly what’s going wrong in NHS dentistry and what the Government needs to do to resolve it. Over the past year we have observed a war of words over NHS dentistry, in Parliament, the media including national and local newspapers, the dental press and social media. The reaction of Government has been to…
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Stronger action is required if the nation is to tackle the childhood obesity and tooth decay crisis, Michael Watson says. Last week two events caught my eye, in reference to childhood obesity and tooth decay. The first was a report from Public Health England on progress, or rather lack of it, in achieving its target set…
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The 2006 dental contract doesn’t work from a financial and business structure, Michael Watson says. Last week dental news was dominated by the BDA Conference and Dentistry Show, which according to all I read did fantastically well. I excused myself and am thus in no position to comment. News outside dentistry was of course dominated…
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Lets support dentistry’s brand, the smile, and get behind National Smile Month, Michael Watson says. So here we are, beginning of National Smile Month, and some clever researchers come up with the idea that smiling makes you look older. According to a report in The Times the ‘misconception’ that smiling makes people look younger is…
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The Department of Health is no longer in charge of NHS dentistry, Michael Watson claims. If there is one date in English history that ‘everyone’ knows, it is 1066, the battle of Hastings. For dentists though, 2006 when the new contract started is a more likely candidate. That was also the year when the then…
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Dentists will continue to get the blame for poor oral health in care homes until the Government starts commissioning dental care, Michael Watson says. A care home manager who has been struggling to get a dentist who will check the teeth of residents with dementia, wants Jeremy Hunt to take action and find one for…
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Why aren’t associate dentists classed as employed, Michael Watson questions. Last week’s blog by Alun Rees on this site discussed ‘the evolving status of associates’ with HMRC. He rightly said: ‘Observing work patterns of many NHS associates, I struggle to justify their status as truly self-employed’ and I agree with him. Employed or self employed?…
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The BDA should be making sure some dental practices aren’t subsidising the high UDA rates of others, Michael Watson says. An article in The Times last week attracted widespread comment from dentists. It claimed that ‘hundreds of thousands of patients were paying a “stealth tax” when they have an NHS dental check-up, which made the…
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Michael Watson questions whether the BDA is ‘crying wolf’ over the pay of dental practice owners. The annual NASDAL (National Association of Specialist Dental Accountants and Lawyers) Benchmarking Report is a ‘must’ for anyone who wishes to comment on dentists’ pay. This year’s event took place last week at BDA headquarters in London and I went…
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We are long overdue action from the Government to tackle obesity and in turn child decay, Michael Watson says. According to a report in The Times recently, Mrs May is preparing for a U-turn on obesity, with curbs on junk food adverts and two-for-one deals for biscuits and cakes. If true this will be welcomed,…
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An increase in patient charges could encourage dentists to take on more children, Michael Watson says. Late last Friday, the Department of Health and Social Care sneaked out news about rises in patients’ charges, not through a ministerial statement as is usual, but obscurely through changes to ‘The National Health Service (Dental Charges) (Amendment) Regulations 2018’. Perhaps…
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Why can’t dental health professionals supply and administer specified medicines under ‘exemptions’, Michael Watson questions. At a study day in Manchester this weekend, dental hygienists and therapists were discussing direct access and changes to the regulations to allow them to prescribe certain medicines, so called ‘exemptions’ for these two professionals, giving them an opportunity to…
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Money raised by the sugar tax should be invested in oral health strategies, not encouraging physical activity, Michael Watson says. Earlier this month the ‘sugar tax’ regulations were debated in the House of Commons. Or to be precise the Draft Soft Drinks Industry Levy (Enforcement) regulations 2018, were passed into law. They will take effect…
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After the Department of Health launched the fourth wave of prototypes, Michael Watson reflects on how reforming the dental contract is going. Last week the LDC Conference chairman, Joe Hendron, published an open letter to Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, outlining his reasons for withdrawing his practice from the Dental Reform Programme…
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With water fluoridation currently being discussed in Westminster, Michael Watson wonders whether the campaign for Hull might have a different ending to what happened in Southampton. Speaking at the publication of the Teeth Team Annual Report in Westminster last month, the Rt Hon Alan Johnson, former Secretary of State for Health, championed the cause of water…
