Government ‘chief dentist’ meets group tackling North Devon’s dental crisis

A group set up to tackle the gaping cavity in North Devon’s dental provision has held its first meeting in person and was joined by the Government’s chief dentist.

On Wednesday, September 24, the North Devon Dental Steering Group (NDDSG), chaired by North Devon MP Ian Roome, met at Petroc College in Barnstaple.

The meeting was joined by Sharon Egan, the Government’s head of dentistry and the chair of the British Dental Association (BDA).

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The group was set up by Ian Roome in November to tackle the dental crisis facing the area and bring together representatives from the Integrated Care Board (ICB), NHS, local dentists, local authorities and other key players.

It has focused on areas such as oral health promotion, recruitment and retention of dental staff and says it has already delivered tangible successes. This includes setting up a free introduction to dentistry course at Petroc and distributing dental packs to many primary schools across North Devon.

Since the group was founded, a supervised tooth brushing scheme has been rolled out to all primary schools in Devon, making it the first area in the South West to do so. The group works closely with the ICB, which is now commissioning new dental practices in North Devon with a focus on urgent care and vulnerable groups.

At this week’s meeting, members discussed recruitment strategies, urgent care pathways, commissioning updates and community engagement. NHS commissioners also confirmed that a new orthodontic practice is set to open in Barnstaple this November.

Mr Rome said: “There have been some fantastic successes to celebrate through the North Devon Dental Steering Group. We’ve launched a brand-new dental training course at Petroc College, stepped up school visits and explored new recruitment strategies.

“The impact is already being felt. Out of the eight people who did the new dentistry course at Petroc, two are now working as dental nurses, and we’ve gained another dental technician in North Devon. Given that we only had around two before, that’s more than a 30% increase in our local dental technician workforce; a huge step forward.

“Huge thanks to NDDSG members Kurt Hintz, Petroc’s CEO, Mike Wheeler, NHS dental workforce lead and Professor David Smith, dental lecturer, for their hard work in making this happen.

“It was great to be able to share this with the Government’s head of dentistry. However, North Devon is still widely recognised as a ‘dental desert’ and I hear every day from people unable to get an appointment, even when they’re in real pain.

“So we also spent a lot of time highlighting the unique challenges rural and coastal communities like ours continue to face.”

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With low levels of dental access, high levels of dental disease, and recruitment struggles, North Devon and the wider South West suffers disproportionately from the dental crisis. It is reported the South West experiences the highest dental vacancy rate in England at around 22% and the highest rate of dental-related A&E attendances.

Mr Roome added: “National issues like contract reform and proper funding are still not being addressed by the new Labour government. The Government must step up and take this crisis seriously and I will keep pressing in Parliament until they do.

“But here in North Devon, the work of the NDDSG shows what can be achieved when local partners pull together. That is what is so refreshing about our group.”