This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Check up for Grampian dental services
10/02/2004
The dental profession and patient representatives in
Aberdeen met with the Deputy Health Minister today to
discuss the future of NHS dentistry in their area.
The meeting is part of a wide-ranging consultation
announced by the Minister last year. The consultation,
Modernising NHS Dental Services in Scotland, will ask the
public and the profession three key questions:
- What sort of services should be provided under the
NHS?
- How dentists' contractual arrangements should look
if they are to support the delivery of those
services?
- How should patients contribute to the cost of the
treatment?
Mr McCabe said:
"As I said last year when we launched the consultation,
the present system of delivering NHS dental services is no
longer sustainable.
"I recognise that in this area NHS dentistry has been
under acute pressure. I wanted to visit and gather, first
hand, views and ideas from interested parties about new
ways in which we can provide NHS dental services in the
future.
"We already have received a substantial response to the
consultation which is why we have extended the period for a
further month. I look forward to hearing the views of NHS
staff, dentists and the public, from across Grampian, today
and in the coming months."
The consultation,
Modernising NHS Dental Services in Scotland, is
currently underway and aims to identify ways forward for
NHS dentistry in Scotland. The consultation period ends on
Friday April 2, 2004.
Short term measures to ease recruitment and retention
in the profession were announced at the time of the
consultation.