Meeting of the Parliament 21 February 2024
As I did in the previous debate, I thank all the professionals working in the sector for their hard work. I also thank the BDA for its briefing ahead of the debate.
I met the BDA on Monday and had a good discussion with it about several of the issues that have been covered so far. It raised issues, particularly those relating to the backlog that has been created by the pandemic, that practices across the country are working hard to overcome.
With regular check-ups not happening during the pandemic, many changes or problems that would have been picked up early have surfaced only when patients have experienced pain and disease has been much further advanced. We have heard many stories of people being unable to access treatment and the potential risks of that.
The pandemic has undoubtedly had an impact on the delivery of the childsmile programme, with children missing out on that for a time. The education on good brushing and oral hygiene habits that the programme produced are incredible, as are the preventative measures that were mentioned earlier. I would be grateful for an update from the minister about the status of the programme and on whether those who may have missed some of the programme due to the pandemic have the opportunity to catch up.
In our conversation, the BDA acknowledged the difference in administrative burden that the reformed payment structure gives, but it said that the outcome and effect of that structure cannot be known as yet. Its briefing to us for today’s debate said the same. Some patients may still be on a course of treatment that was started under a code on the previous fee structure, so the full effects may not be seen for some time. I asked the BDA about what the measure of success of the new payment structure looks like. It would be useful if the BDA and the Government laid that out clearly. No two practices are the same in terms of size, structure and services, and rural and urban practices have their own differences and challenges, too. Given that it is so difficult to compare practices, it would be useful to define what the measure of success is for the new payment structure and when we might see that coming to fruition.
There is a widening gap in registration levels between the least and most deprived areas, especially in the registration of children. More needs to be done to ensure that parents register where they can and that, where there are difficulties, parents are given support to find care. Some of the causes behind the dip in registrations are complex. We need to fully understand the dip and address it urgently.
In my conversation with the BDA, it also raised the issue of access to general anaesthetics for dentistry in hospitals and the number of cancellations. The greatest number of general anaesthetics that are administered to children is for dental issues. That can be for a multitude of reasons, but it is often to reduce the trauma for invasive procedures where children cannot tolerate the same level of treatment as adults may be able to.
Access to general anaesthetics is also relevant for adults who have a disability or a particular medical condition that requires enhanced treatment. Waiting times for such treatment is often overlooked. In the interests of making a helpful suggestion somewhere in the debate, I hope that the cabinet secretary or the minister may raise the issue with health board, to ensure that people are getting the treatment that they need in the manner that they need it.
We need to closely monitor the changes that have been made recently to dentistry and ensure that they are achieving everything that they need to, while promoting good oral health and hygiene and reinforcing programmes such as childsmile, in order to ensure good oral health for all.
16:49