Decision

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.