Issue - meetings

The attached report of the Head of Primary Care, NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI) was deferred from the meeting held on 22 June 2021, to enable a representative of NHS England to attend in order to respond to any questions on the matter. Mr. Tom Knight, Head of Primary Care, NHS England and NHS Improvement North West (Cheshire and Merseyside), is due to attend the meeting.

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Primary Care, NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI) on the current challenges faced by dentistry in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact this is having on service delivery.

The report set out the background to the matter, together with the current position, in that some practices were not yet able to offer the full range of services that they would want to at this point in time. The report concludes that current infection prevention and control arrangements would continue to prevent a return to pre-pandemic practice, and that income protection measures to support the restoration of the service would be retained.

Mr. Tom Knight, Head of Primary Care, NHS England and NHS Improvement North West (Cheshire and Merseyside), attended the meeting to provide up-to-date information and to respond to questions on the matter.

Members of the Committee asked questions/raised matters on the following issues:

·       How information was communicated to the public in the event that they were unable to access dental services, particularly for those people who did not use IT.

·       Information on Urgent Dental Centres (UDCs) in Sefton, including numbers, sharing of data, the non-permanent nature of UDCs, and the return to routine care and funding.

·       Private dental care and the lack of NHS facilities in parts of the Borough.

·       Queries and complaints received by Healthwatch Sefton on the lack of NHS dental appointments available in recent months.

·       The ability for certain early stage cancers to be detected early at routine dental appointments.

·       Disappointment that there was no UDC in Southport.

RESOLVED:

That the report on the current challenges faced by dentistry in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact this is having on service delivery, be noted.

Report of the Head of Primary Care, NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI)

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Primary Care, NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI) on the current challenges faced by dentistry in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact this is having on service delivery.

The report set out the background to the matter, together with the current position, in that some practices were not yet able to offer the full range of services that they would want to at this point in time. The report concluded that current infection prevention and control arrangements would continue to prevent a return to pre-pandemic practice, and that income protection measures to support the restoration of the service would be retained.

Martin McDowell, Deputy Chief Officer, NHS South Sefton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and NHS Southport and Formby CCG was in attendance to present the report and to respond to questions raised by Members of the Committee.

Members of the Committee asked questions/raised matters on the following issues:

·       The agenda item should be deferred to enable a representative of NHS England to attend in order to respond to questions.

RESOLVED:

That the agenda item on the Current Challenges Faced by Dentistry in Light of the Covid-19 Pandemic be deferred to the meeting of the Committee scheduled to be held on 7 September 2021, to enable a representative of NHS England to attend in order to respond to any questions on the matter.