DTUK1410

PUBLISHED IN LONDON T he new coalition govern- ment has warned that the NHS will be hit by ‘effi- ciency savings and pay squeezes’. The new Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley (Conservative, pictured), told the BBC’s Today Programme that ‘the service would not be saved from the same kind of efficiency sav- ings and pay squeezes that will hit right across the public sector in a bid to claw back cash’. Mr Lansley is the MP for South Cambridgeshire and pre- viously served as the Shadow Health Secretary – a position he held from 2003. On being appointed, he said: “It is an immense privilege to be appointed Secretary of State for Health in the new Government. “Just as Britain needs strong and stable Government, so we intend to bring to the NHS the consistent, stable reform, which enables it to deliver improving quality of care to patients. “I am determined that we will have an NHS in which the pa- tient shares in making decisions; where quality standards are evidence-based and form the ba- sis of the design of services and their management; and where the objective is consistent im- provement in the outcomes we achieve, so that they are amongst the best in the world.” However he added: “To ach- ieve this in the current financial crisis requires leadership and highly effective management. The NHS will be backed with in- creased real resources but with this comes a real responsibility. We will need progressively to be more efficient, to cut the costs of what we do now, to in- novate and re-design, in order to enable us to meet increased demands and to improve quality and outcomes.” As Shadow Health Secretary, Mr Lansley attacked the ‘terri- ble dental legacy’ of Labour and warned that it would be ‘difficult to fix’. Before the election, the Con- servatives promised to tie taxpa- yer-trained dentists into the NHS for five years, allow dentists to fine people who consistently miss appointments and give every five-year-old a dental check-up. “It costs the NHS around £170,000 to train a dentist, but many feel forced to abandon the service for the private sector – or in some cases are actually being poached – at no cost to private firms. We propose that those who take public bursaries for dental training should do at least five years work for the NHS in re- turn,” said their manifesto. The Tories also pledged to red- ucethefrequencyofroutinecheck ups NHS dentists would also be rewarded for preventative work. The other part of the coalition government, the Liberal Demo- crats, didn’t even mention NHS dentistry in its election manifesto. When Dental Tribune went to press, the Department of Health had just announced the ap- pointments to the Government’s ministerial health team. Paul Burstow, Liberal Democrat MP for Sutton and Cheam and Si- mon Burns, Conservative MP for west Chelmsford, have both been selected to serve as ministers of state for health in the new coali- tion Government. Former nurse, MP Anne Milton (Conservative) and Earl Howe, an elected hereditary peer have both been made par- liamentary under secretaries of state. DT Call Max on 01737 221020 EXT 2042 or email DTacquisitions@adp-dental.com If you’re thinking about selling your practice or group then come and have a chat with us. You’ve worked hard. Now reap the rewards. Think of selling your practice and think of • Beating the Corporate Gains Tax rise • Clinical freedom • A minimum 1 year working contract • Reducing your income tax bill • Reducing stress • Developing practice potential & growth • Supporting staff & patients • Unlocking equity May 24-30, 2010 VOL. 4 NO. 14 Dentist abseiling for charity A dentist and a dental nurse are abseiling down the tallest hospital tower in the world for charity. Bob Miller and Lesley Dixon from Brampton Dental Practice in Cambridgeshire are abseiling down Guy’s Hospital Tower in London on 12 June to raise money for three charities Marie Cancer Care, the Myasthenia Gravis Association (for people with a muscle-wasting disease) and Bridge2Aid, a dental charity in Tanzania. Then on 20 June, the whole practice is ente- ring the Dragon Boat Race as the ‘Mental Dental’ team, in Peterborough, to raise funds for the ‘East Anglia’s Chil- dren’s Hospice’. Recommendations pay The Review Body for Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (RBDDR) has announced the dates of its visits to dental prac- tices in preparation for mak- ing its recommendation for dentists’ pay in 2011-12. They are NHS Berkshire West, 20 May, NHS Brighton and Hove, 4 June, Darlington PCT, 11 June, Cardiff and Vale Univer- sity Health Board, 22 June. Any NHS dentist can contact their local PCT/LHB and request to be part of the group meeting the RBDDR. At this meeting you will be able to put forward your views on NHS pay. Annual study day The National Oral Health Pro- motion Group (NOHPG) An- nual Study Day will be held on Friday 11 June at the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel. The aim of the group is to encourage the continued development of oral health promotion and give support to groups involved in oral health improvement. The day will provide a unique net- working opportunity, as well as a trade fair, and the group AGM for NOHPG members. The cost for the study day is £120, including light refresh- ments and a buffet lunch, and five hours of verifiable CPD are available. For more infor- mation, visit www.nohpg.org/ nextconf.asp. Resuscitation app Dentists, doctors and nurses with iPhones are being urged to download the iResus app which gives the latest resus- citation guidelines. iResus is provided free of charge by the Resuscitation Council (UK) to provide its most up to date guidance for medical profes- sionals providing emergency care in a hospital environ- ment and those with an inter- est in first aid. iResus is free to download and is available on the iPhone App Store. www.dental-tribune.co.uk Bukumbi Bound Take a look at some of the pictures from DT editor’s recent mission to Tanzania ‘A great experience’ Look back at this year’s Clinical Innovations Conference Being Sociable Mhari Coxon urges practices to get with the times and get into social networking News in Brief Events DCPsFeatureNews Watt an award! University of Manchester Prof receives Alexander von Humbolt Research Award page 6 page 12 page 13 page 25 New coalition government warns of spending cuts to NHS Efficiency savings and pay squeezes in areas of healthcare herald new age of British Government