Dental Fitness Scheme

WQ.106/2023

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER CENTRAL

QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 13th MARCH 2023

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 20th MARCH 2023

Question

Will the Minister provide confirmation that the Dental Fitness Scheme still exists, and if it does, will she advise –

1. the take-up of the scheme by children or young people for the period January 2021 to December 2022;
2. what the total benefit spend by Health and Community Services was to bring children to dental fitness and then maintaining fitness;
3. what the fee paid to dentists under the scheme stands at and whether the monthly amount has been uprated since the creation of the scheme;
4. how many of the Island’s dentists provided services under the scheme in the period January 2021 to December 2022;
5. what progress, if any, has been made in creating the new dental strategy promised by the previous Health Minister in 2020/21, in particular the implementation of a preventative model of dental care;
6. how many full-time equivalent posts are filled within the department of community dentistry and how many vacancies are currently carried; and
7. the number of full-time equivalent posts and number of vacancies within that same department for each of the last two years?

Answer

Please note that questions a), c) and d) fall under the remit of the Minister for Social Security. I have liaised with the Minister to source a response to these questions, however if further information or clarity is required, these should be directed to the Minister for Social Security in the first instance.

1. The number of children or young people taking up this scheme was:

2. In 2022, the total spend by Health and Community Services was £2677.65.
3. The amount payable is £6 a month per member. This has not been changed recently but it is under review.
4. The number of dentists who provided services between Jan-Dec 2021 was 54. This decreased to 51 in 2022.
5. An interim Oral Health Strategy has been produced in conjunction with Public Health, which is called ‘Let’s Smile, An Oral Health Strategy for Jersey 2022-2025'. It has incorporated a broad range of stakeholder insights gained through engagement sessions, and a questionnaire that was undertaken as part of the development process. The interim strategy was completed in summer 2023 and approved by the Clinical and Professional and Advisory Forum on 10 August 2022.
6. Currently there are 3.8 full time equivalent posts within community dental (all for dental officers), and no vacancies.

7. Over 2021 and 2022 there were 2.8 full time equivalent posts for dental officers, and no vacancies. There was also 1 full-time equivalent post for a consultant in restorative dentistry, which was vacant at the end of 2022, and has since been repurposed into a senior dental officer role.