Rob Nelder (Consultant, Public Health) delivered the ‘Dental Taskforce’ update and highlighted the following points-

a)    There were currently over 22,000 Plymouth residents on the waiting list for an NHS dentist. Around 600 children in Plymouth had a combined 4,000 teeth removed every year;

b)    The first priority of the Dental Taskforce had been to identify sources of funding. It was known that NHS Devon ICB had an annual dental underspend, and it was hoped that Plymouth’s share could be retained within the city;

c)    The Dental School had held an ambition for over 4 years to establish a City Centre Dental Practice, which could support 3,500 residents on the dental waiting list. Efforts to enact this were ongoing;

d)    5 dental chairs had been planned for the Cavell Centre. Although the Cavell Centre was not going ahead as initially intended, there was hope that funding for these chairs could continue at an alternative location;

e)    PCC were working with existing providers of dental care in the city to see if they had capacity to increase their provision;

f)     NHS Devon had arranged a Plymouth Dental Investment meeting with providers in the city, and outcomes would be monitored, and reported to this Board.

Following questions, the Board discussed-

g)    The dental underspend was likely to be in excess of £2 MM however, NHS Devon had been asked to provide exact figures;

h)    The need for a new NHS Dental Plan;

i)     There was cross party and organisation support for the need to resolve Dental pressures;

The Board agreed - 

1.    ??To note the content of the report and continue to support the Council’s Corporate Plan priority of ‘working with the NHS to provide better access to health, care and dentistry’.?