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Pharmaceutical companies are finding new ways to keep the prices of their drugs and medicines high, which is hitting the NHS, Kevin Lewis says. You may be forgiven for thinking that I have disappeared for an early holiday half way through this column. One or two of my regular readers (and quite possibly, both of…
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The current commissioning model for the NHS has become part of the problem, Kevin Lewis says. This column is like a magical mystery tour through the good, the bad and the ugly. For starters, we have a black hole in the NHS that was recently quantified by Simon Stevens as £2.45 billion in the financial…
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Kevin Lewis wonders whether the current generation of dental students receive adequate clinical training. I sense that this column is going to irritate some people. Look away if you are a proud descendant of, or in any way related to, a train driver. Those of you who know me well will be aware that I…
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A short-term fix will not solve the huge underlying issues found in the NHS, Kevin Lewis says. The government’s recent promise of more money (an extra £2.4 billion in stages through to 2020) to fund front-line medical GP services and support staff has provided a rare ray of sunshine in an otherwise dismal period for…
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Kevin Lewis questions the suitability of the International English Language Testing System for dental professionals. I have no wish to enter the amusing but somewhat pointless debate regarding the true origin of the above quote, which was referring to England and America. George Bernard Shaw seems to win the popular vote, not least because it…
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Kevin Lewis uses the BDIA’s warnings over buying cheap dental equipment to warn the NHS about continuing to drive down UDA values. My heart sank when I saw the front page headline in The Times a few weeks ago, which read ‘Blundering doctors get protection from blame’. On closer inspection, however, it turns out that…
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It’s only the government that benefits from the current structure of the NHS dental contracts, says Kevin Lewis. Sometimes I feel like a member of the crowd in that mythical but memorable story from Hans Christian Andersen about the naked emperor, who relied upon his subjects to go along with the illusion and accept that…
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Could the GDC be merged with another regulator to help save money in healthcare regulation and would this be a good thing, questions Kevin Lewis. There was a Chamberlain-esque ‘Peace in our time’ feeling about David Cameron’s return from the recent EU conference. One cannot deny that the question of whether or not Britain remains…
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Kevin Lewis explains how ‘ridiculous’ the NHS and GDC guidelines are on how to recommend private treatments. Many years ago, in my role at Dental Protection, a patient was bringing a negligence claim against a dentist in Australia on the basis that she hadn’t been warned about a possible adverse outcome resulting from some treatment…
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The dental profession should focus on moving forward rather than the change itself, Kevin Lewis says. Let me start by acknowledging that it is probably something to do with the time of year. No sooner had the final New Year’s Eve firework faded into the night sky, and we were being exhorted to set off…
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Kevin Lewis reflects on a year of mixed fortunes. As we approach the end of another frenetic year, it is time to announce this year’s prizes. The musical chairs award was fiercely contested with a particularly strong entry from Barry Cockcroft as he slid seamlessly across from the ultimate and biggest commissioner of NHS dental…
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We can’t have high-quality CQC inspection teams and not expect to pay the price, Kevin Lewis says. Daniel Finkelstein, the political commentator who regularly graces our TV screens, not to mention the opinion pages of The Times, commented that Halloween seems to be celebrated more than Bonfire Night these days. He explained: ‘Years ago you…
