Agenda item

8.1

The Director of Public Health submitted a report concerning oral health in Sheffield and which provided an overview on how NHS England and Sheffield City Council were working to improve oral health and reduce oral health inequalities in Sheffield. 

8.2

Debbie Stovin, Dental Commissioning Manager, NHS England and Debbie Hanson, Health Improvement Principal, Public Health, Sheffield City Council, gave a presentation to the Board which provided an outline of oral health services to the Board. An oral health needs assessment had been produced for Yorkshire and Humber and local profiles were being developed for each local authority area to understand needs and to direct commissioning. There were relatively high levels of tooth decay in Sheffield compared to other areas of South Yorkshire and there were challenges to dental access. The presentation set out initiatives to strengthen and improve access and outlined what was being done to improve oral health and reduce inequalities through oral health programmes and what needed to happen to make a difference in relation to people’s oral health.

8.3

The Board discussed people accessing GPs and the waiting list for dentists and impact on other aspects of their lives and their health of living with pain and the demand on secondary care services. There were potential improvements through incentives to recruitment and retention of dentists and dental nurses, particularly in dental practices in more deprived areas. Workforce was a real issue and services had previously been affected by Covid restrictions and dental practices were doing additional sessions on top of normal activity. A waiting list initiative should  provide better information about the nature of waiting lists. Anyone in pain should contact NHS 111.

8.4

Healthwatch received feedback on dental services. This included that there were issues with access to dentist waiting lists, 111 services at the weekend and services for women who were pregnant. There was a lack of up to date information so people found it hard to navigate. However, seeking patient feedback with a view to knowing what was going on, was critical and welcomed. Dentistry commissioning was coming back to the Integrated Care Board from April 2023 with issues including workforce and potential for contracting system reform, and activity with regards to prevention at an early age, such as children owning a toothbrush.

8.5

Whilst prevention activity which did take place was good, there was a need to invest in more in oral health improvement. Work was nearly complete with Yorkshire Water on the technical report for a community water fluoridation scheme. Yorkshire Water would send that report which looked at whether such as scheme was technically possible and as regards cost. That would be sent to the Secretary of State and fluoridation was the subject of a recommendation for this Board.

8.6

The Health & Wellbeing Board agreed to:

1.      Ensure that the Health and Wellbeing Board continues to support the water fluoridation agenda in South Yorkshire.

2.      Ensure that oral health is mentioned in the Sheffield Health & Wellbeing Strategy.