Agenda item

To receive the report.

The Committee discussed the report and presentation commissioning was devolved to the ICB on 1^st April 2023. The Committee welcomed the offer of a Dentistry Masterclass for all Councillors in due course.

The Committee discussed a report on Pharmacy and Dental Services.

Pharmaceutical Services are commissioned from independent contractors, Community Pharmacy, Dispensing Doctors and Dispensing Appliance Contractors. Community pharmacy contractors comprise ‘bricks and mortar’ pharmacies and distance selling pharmacies. There are not generally individual contracts for pharmaceutical services commissioning, there is a contractual framework laid out in the NHS (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013. In order to provide NHS pharmaceutical services, the contractor must be on their local pharmaceutical list. Access to pharmaceutical lists is controlled by regulations, the process for this is the responsibility of the ICB. Once on the list, contractors must meet their terms of service including providing essential services in line with the contractual framework and can choose to provide advanced services if they meet the requirements of those services. Distance selling pharmacies are not permitted to provide essential services to patients face-to-face at their listed premises, although they can provide advanced and enhanced services face to face.

There are two types of NHS dental contracts: General Dental Services (GDS) contract and Personal Dental Services (PDS) Agreement. GDS and PDS are nationally agreed regulatory and contractual frameworks. GDS contractors must provide mandatory services and can provide additional services. They are not time limited and do not have a fixed expiry date. PDS Agreements allow contractors to provide mandatory services or additional services. They are time limited and have a fixed expiry date (usually five years) however, contractors providing mandatory dental services with a PDS agreement can convert this activity to a GDS Contract. ICBs contract directly with independent contractors (dental practice owners), who then employ and / or subcontract with staff to deliver NHS dental services. Dental Public Health Consultants are responsible for assessing the oral health needs of their local populations and publishing and updating the Oral Health Needs Assessment. ICBs will need to commission dental services to meet the needs of their population. Current contracts are based on existing arrangements. The commissioner will need to determine whether any new contracts or temporary arrangements must be competitively tendered and procured in accordance with procurement law and any procurement protocol issued by NHS England.

The Committee discussed the report and aired a general frustration of all residents on not being able to access NHS funded dental care. The Committee were surprised to learn the Government funding for Dental Services is based on an assumption that funding will only be available to cover 50% of the population and the rest will voluntarily opt for Private Dental Services was not generally known.

The Committee share a general frustration that the current contract was not delivering a service to residents in Somerset and the solution was very slow in being delivered. The Committee were assured that Flexible Commissioning would yield results but needed to be tempered with an understanding that there is a national shortage of Dentists and encouraging then to take on NHS services was proving to be a challenge.

The Somerset Policies for Adults and Health Committee discussed the report and presentation commissioning was devolved to the ICB on 1^st April 2023. The Committee welcomed the offer of a Dentistry Masterclass for all Councillors in due course.