The official version of this document can be found via the PDF button.
The below content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost, therefore it should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments.
WQ.237/2021
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 17th MAY 2021
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 24th MAY 2021
Question
Given the response to Written Question 464/2019 referenced the commitment in the Government Plan for 2020 to the "development of a model of dental services for children with a preventative focus", will the Minster –
- advise what progress, if any, has been made on this model;
Answer
Work is progressing on the development of a dental strategy, part of which will be a model to
improve services for children. The model will seek to secure good standards of oral health and the prevention of dental disease through health promotion and the creation of care pathways.
Elements of prevention are already in place via the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) which is providing targeted support to professionals and to families, encouraging breastfeeding during the first year of life and providing protection against dental caries.
The completion of this model was disrupted by the impact of Covid-19, however, the Council of Ministers remains committed to making improvements in dental provision and a task force, formed across departments, is working at pace to produce the Island-wide Dental Strategy this year and map the deliverables that achieve better outcomes for children.
- state whether he intends to implement the ten short and long-term options outlined in the Review of Dental Health Services and Benefits (R.91/2015); and, if not, why not; and
Answer
R.91/2015 offered an independent assessment of dental services and benefits at that time and demonstrated the need to develop and clearly define a dental strategy. The report is informing this work, which will incorporate a preventative model of care.
As set out in the answer to WQ220/2021, a range of activity has taken place informed by the observations of the 2015 review. This includes engagement with the dental profession (short-term option 2), the exploration of ways to improve current information systems (short-term option 3) with a review of different dental software options by the dental department, and in regard to longer- term option 7, HCS has conducted a review of demand and capacity that will allow the development of a workforce model that will support sustainable services.
- request confirmation from the Minister for Social Security as to how many families have been participating in the Jersey Dental Fitness Scheme over the five years since the publication of that review?
Answer
Information is not held on the number of families who access the scheme, however, the individual number of children (including siblings from the same family) is shown below, as of the end of January in each year:
2015 - 1065 members 2016 - 979 members 2017 - 933 members 2018 - 903 members 2019 - 823 members 2020 - 747 members