PM LAUNCHES NEW ERA FOR NHS WITH EASIER, MORE CONVENIENT CARE IN PEOPLE’S NEIGHBOURHOODS
The Society of British Dental Nurses is optimistic that this plan will shift the dial and, at last, see dental nurses and oral health practitioners delivering the intervention and preventative measures that they have been trained to undertake for many years. This is a fundamental shift that will drive home the core principles the profession has lamented time and time again: that intervention and prevention (preventing illness in the first place) delivered at a community level must be a priority. Dental nurses are often undervalued and overlooked as key members of the dental team; their skills and abilities extend far beyond giving advice, and it is hoped that the commitment to this seismic shift reflects their talents.
To ensure that safe and effective care is delivered to patients, there must be a well-trained workforce that is engaged and motivated, whose role brings them purpose and fulfilment, to the extent that they want to stay and thrive. We acknowledge that this shift may take time to unfold, but we urge the government and key stakeholders to consider the bureaucracy and red tape that prevent dental nurses from working to their full scope of practice. The time has long passed since dental nurses were no more than a so-called ‘hand maiden’ or a ‘subordinate’. The expectations and responsibilities of the role are vast, and the requirements to work as a professional are echoed across the landscape. If we truly want the right number of people, in the right place, delivering the right care at the right time to provide local community service, we must include the dental nurses and oral health improvement practitioners.
It seems mildly odd that the Society was asked to present a proposal in Westminster almost a year ago. Having carved out its skill set within and consulted with other partners, it became apparent just how crucial dental nurses and oral health practitioners are, and as part of an earlier global platform. They work across such a broad range of settings, from the Armed Forces and secure units, in dental hospitals and dental schools, in hospitals and community settings, on mobile dental vans, in dental practices, and specialist centres. Let us not forget that they are frequently part of multidisciplinary teams in renal, cardiology, and oncology units, and work alongside geriatric teams, pharmacists, midwives, and health visitors. They are involved in treatments and care across the life-course, in other words, from ‘cradle to grave.’ Beyond this, they are crucial in patient safety management through their responsibilities, application and commitment to high levels of infection prevention and control.
Despite this, we are still hearing of dedicated dental nurses being denied opportunities to progress within their role and some who are on minimum wages. In 1993 the Nuffield Report outlined the need to have dental auxiliaries (dental nurses) trained and on the professional dental register. Whilst this took until 2006-2008 to come to fruition, dental nurses are now registered dental care professionals, who must successfully complete a training course to become a registrant. Beyond this, they are required to complete a set number of hours of continual professional development per year and pay an annual retention fee, which is the same amount as laboratory technicians, orthodontic therapists, dental hygienists, dental therapists, and clinical dental technicians, who all commonly have a broader scope of practice and level of autonomy.
There is an opportunity right now to ensure that dental nurses and oral health improvement practitioners play a key role in the delivery of the 10-Year Plan and to deliver a plan that clearly values the dental nursing profession.
The 10 Year Plan
- Prime Minister launches government’s 10 Year Health Plan to bring the NHS closer to home
- Neighbourhood Health Services to be rolled out across the country, bringing diagnostics, mental health, post-op, rehab, and nursing to people’s doorsteps
- Neighbourhood health centres will house services under one roof, open at evenings and weekends
- Plan for Change will rebuild the NHS to train thousands more family doctors, transform hospital outpatient appointments, and provide personalised care plans for complex needs
Millions of patients will be treated and cared for closer to their home by new teams of health professionals, Prime Minister Keir Starmer will set out today, as the Government’s Plan for Change delivers a brand-new era for the NHS and delivers one of the most seismic shifts in care in the history of the health service.
The launch of a Neighbourhood Health Service will see pioneering teams, some based entirely under one roof, set up in local communities across the country, to dramatically improve access to the NHS. As part of the Government’s aim to shift care out of hospitals and into the community, they will free up overstrained hospitals from perpetual firefighting so they can focus on delivering only the best, most cutting-edge, and personalised care.
These neighbourhood health centres will provide easier, more convenient access to a full range of healthcare services right on people’s doorsteps – stopping them from having to make lengthy trip to hospitals. Neighbourhood teams will include staff like nurses, doctors, social care workers, pharmacists, health visitors, palliative care staff, and paramedics. Community health workers and volunteers will play a pivotal role in these teams, and local areas will be encouraged to trial innovative schemes like community outreach door-to-door – to detect early signs of illness and reduce pressure on GPs and A&E.
Launching the government’s 10 Year Health Plan today, the Prime Minister will set out how moving care from hospitals to the community is one of the three key shifts required to tackle the inherited challenges and neglect of the NHS, make sure it is equipped to look after a modern society, and ensure people feel the change and improvements in healthcare that they voted for.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
“The NHS should be there for everyone, whenever they need it.
“But we inherited a health system in crisis, addicted to a sticking plaster approach, and unable to face up to the challenges we face now, let alone in the future.
“That ends now. Because it’s reform or die. Our 10 Year Health Plan will fundamentally rewire and future-proof our NHS so that it puts care on people’s doorsteps, harnesses game-changing tech and prevents illness in the first place.
“That means giving everyone access to GPs, nurses, and wider support all under one roof in their neighbourhood – rebalancing our health system so that it fits around patients’ lives, not the other way round.
“This is not an overnight fix, but our Plan for Change is already turning the tide on years of decline with over four million extra appointments, 1,900 more GPs and waiting lists at their lowest level for two years.
“But there’s more to come. This government is giving patients easier, quicker and more convenient care, wherever they live.”
The plan follows Lord Darzi’s diagnosis of the challenges facing the NHS last year where he assessed it was in a ‘critical condition’ as a result of deep rooted issues including low productivity, poor staff morale, a failure to keep up with new technology, rising waiting times, and a deterioration in the health of the nation.
The PM will set out how the plan will deliver three key shifts to get the NHS back on its feet: hospital to community; analogue to digital; and sickness to prevention. Built around these three principles, the reforms within the plan will deliver the government’s promise to stop rising waiting lists, deliver more convenient care, and tackle inequalities across the country.
New health centres will house the neighbourhood teams, which will eventually be open 12 hours a day, six days a week within local communities. They will not only bring historically hospital-based services into the community – diagnostics, post-operative care, and rehab – but will also offer services like debt advice, employment support and stop smoking or weight management, all of which will help tackle issues which we know affect people’s health.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:
“Our 10 Year Health Plan will turn the NHS on its head, delivering one of the most fundamental changes in the way we receive our healthcare in history.
“By shifting from hospital to community, we will finally bring down devastating hospital waiting lists and stop patients going from pillar to post to get treated.
“This Government’s Plan for Change is creating an NHS truly fit for the future, keeping patients healthy and out of hospital, with care closer to home and in the home.”
The status quo of ‘hospital by default’ will end, with a new preventative principle that care should happen as locally as it can: digital-by-default, in a patient’s home where possible, in a neighbourhood health centre when needed, in a hospital if necessary. This approach will make access to healthcare more convenient for patients and easier to fit around their day to day lives, rather than disrupting people’s work and personal lives.
Thousands more GPs will be trained under the 10 Year Health Plan, as the Government lays the groundwork to bring back the family doctor, end the 8am scramble and make it easier to see your GP when you need to instead of having to turn to A&E.
The government inherited an analogue NHS, reliant on paper and fax machines and out of step with modern technology. The government’s plan will bring it into the digital age, making sure staff benefit from the advantages and efficiencies available from new technology. This includes rolling out groundbreaking new tools over the next two years to support GPs. AI scribes will end the need for clinical notetaking, letter drafting, and manual data entry to free up clinicians’ time to focus on treating patients. Saving just 90 seconds on each GP appointment can save the same time as adding 2,000 more doctors into general practice.
The Government will also use digital telephony so all phone calls to GP practices are answered quickly. For those who need it, they will get a digital or telephone consultation the same day they request it.
As it stands, some practices are struggling to keep up with an ageing population and 21st century health needs. New contracts will be introduced which encourage and allow practices to cover a wider geographical area. It means smaller practices in the catchment area will get more support to ensure the right access is in place so that everyone can access their GP when they need to.
Sir James Mackey, Chief Executive, NHS England said:
“The Neighbourhood Health Service is a huge opportunity for us to transform how we deliver care over the next decade – starting right on people’s doorsteps.
“By bringing together a full range of clinicians as one team, we can deliver care that’s more accessible, convenient and better for patients, as well as reducing pressures on hospitals.”
The plan will also deliver on the government’s promise to tackle the current lottery of access to dentists. Dental care professionals will work as part of neighbourhood teams, where Dental therapists could undertake check-ups, treatment, and referrals, while dental nurses could give education and advice to parents or work with schools and community groups. The work therapists cannot do would be safely directed to dentists.
Under the plan, it will also be a requirement for newly qualified dentists to practice in the NHS for a minimum period, intended to be 3 years.
Following the government’s work already to roll out supervised toothbrushing for kids, the plan will also improve access to dental care for children, making better use of the wider dental workforce, especially dental therapists, including through a new approach to upskilling professionals to work at the top of their clinical potential beginning in 2026 to 2027. This includes proposals to allow dental nurses to administer fluoride varnish for children in between check-ups, and the greater use of fissure sealants for children – covering back teeth with thin plastic coating to keep germs and food particles out the grooves.
Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, said:
“This is a vital step towards a more preventative, community-based NHS. Bringing care closer to people’s homes through blended neighbourhood health teams recognises the complex and interconnected challenges many patients face, and it is the right direction for both improving outcomes and alleviating pressure on hospitals.
“In many areas of the country, general practices working at scale through primary care networks and GP Federations, are already partnering alongside other organisations to deliver joined up care. It will be important to build on these positive successes.
“Delivering on this ambition will require sustained investment in digital and estates, support for the NHS’s workforce, and a commitment to decentralise national control by empowering local leaders to do what is best for their populations. On behalf of our members, we are eager to work with the government to help turn this bold vision into lasting change.”
With the 10 Year Health plan the majority of outpatient care will happen outside of hospitals by 2035, by transforming care in the community. New digital tools will allow GPs to refer patients quicker, and a wider range of services available on people’s doorsteps will mean less need to attend appointments in hospital for ophthalmology, cardiology, respiratory medicine, and mental health.
As a result of this shift to community, hospitals will be able to focus on patients who need hospital care, and get them seen on time again.
The government’s Plan for Change is already delivering action to cut waiting lists and fix the foundations of the NHS. Waiting lists are at their lowest level in two years, including the first drop in April for 17 years. An extra 4.2million appointments have been delivered since July – over double the government’s target. 10 new surgical hubs have opened since January, and over 1,500 more GPs have been recruited since October.
ENDS