Content

Following the Committee’s focus on
dentistry and the importance of ensuring there is sufficient
provision in our area and particularly for those most in need, the
following decisions are made namely to:-
a) instruct Officers to contact health colleagues and request that
they provide data which explains the link between dental decay and
hospital admissions;
b) continue to champion the importance of addressing health
inequalities as highlighted in this Council's emerging Health and
Wellbeing Strategy and furthermore, to work with any newly formed
Integrated Care Board so as to maintain that focus on addressing
health inequality;
c) instruct Officers to contact health colleagues to provide data
which explains changes in dental appointments over time; and
d) to share the responses in respect of a) and c) above with the
Committee in due course.

Reasons for the decision

To respond to the recommendations of the
Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny meeting held on 17 June
2025.
Having an interest in dentistry and considering the Briefing Note
provided to the Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny Meeting
on 17 June 2025 on dental commissioning, I acknowledge the
Committee’s comments as follows;
The Committee:
1)Urges the Portfolio Holder for Partnerships to urge NHS
colleagues in providers hospitals to supply the required data
around admissions of children and the extent of which that can be
attributed to dental decay;
2)Urges the Portfolio Holder for Partnerships, that with the
envisioned merger of the ICB for Greater Essex, that she does
everything that is within her power to ensure that the health
inequalities, particularly with dental health inequalities, are
front and centre for the new ICB and at least replicate the good
work of the SNEE going forward; and
3)urges the Portfolio Holder for Partnerships that there is a
development of continued referencing data and extent of any
improvement over time and for the actual NHS dental appointments
for each year to be provided for children and adults
In response to these points, the decisions I have made in response
are set out in the previous column.

Alternative options considered

To reject the Committee’s
recommendations but I did not follow that option because of the
importance of maintaining a focus on dental health inequalities
with health partners.