Local Dental Committees (LDCs) from across England are supporting a BDA campaign calling for the government to address dentists’ mounting concerns about the burden of red tape on general dental practice.
Attendees at the 2010 LDC Officials’ Day, which took place at London’s Hotel Russell last Friday (3 December) interrupted their day to pledge support for the campaign and urge colleagues around the country to do the same.
More than 60 officers, representing Local Dental Committees from across the length and breadth of England, threw their weight behind the campaign which calls for action on concerns about the registration of practices with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Dr Mick Armstrong, chair of the Local Dental Committees, said: ‘CQC registration is a cause of anxiety for practitioners across England.
‘The ability of dentists to care for their patients is under threat from increasing amounts of red tape. The registration of practices with the CQC threatens not only to increase the administrative burden on practices, but also to rob practices of significant sums of money they could better use in improving patient services. LDCs are proud to back this campaign which calls for a commonsense approach that puts patient care first.’
The campaign is calling on dentists in England to send a copy of a postcard produced by the BDA to their MP Parliament.
The postcard asks MPs to write to Secretary of State Andrew Lansley requesting that he simplifies the arrangements for the CQC’s registration of dental practices so that it does not duplicate functions carried out elsewhere, ensures that the registration fee for dental practices is set at a reasonable level, and delays the deadline for registration to allow these issues to be addressed.
Postcards have been distributed to BDA members inside copies of the December 2010 edition of BDA News.
Postcards were also made available to delegates at LDC Officials’ Day.
