To consider and approve the recommendations emerging from the spotlight review concerning dental health and childhood obesity.

The committee considered a report which provided the outcomes and recommendations arising from the dental health and childhood obesity spotlight review which took place on 17 September 2018. The Chairperson introduced the report and explained that the review had brought together a wide range of organisations with responsibility for dental health and childhood obesity. It was felt that those organisations in attendance had benefitted from participating in the session which had facilitated coordination and discussions.    

The committee made those comments below in the debate that followed:

Dental Health

·         The discussion at the review concerning the capacity of dentists and people being turned away was raised. It had been the experience of local residents that they had been declined registration at local dentists because they had been at capacity. NHS England West Midlands had reported at the meeting that a number local dentists in Herefordshire had spare capacity. The committee agreed that an additional recommendation in the outcomes of the spotlight review to NHS England West Midlands relating to ‘access to dentists’, would be to: ‘Investigate under-capacity at dentists in Herefordshire and reports of local residents being denied registration and responds to the children and young people scrutiny committee with detail of the outcomes of the investigation.’

·         The review had provided a very useful forum for all organisations in attendance to share details of projects underway and consider how they could coordinate priorities. This was a good template for the scrutiny committee to follow in future years.

·         There was mention of the recommendation raised regarding investigation of a mobile dentist facility and the need to strengthen the recommendation to ensure a response was provided which set out the potential timescales for the introduction of a mobile service. It was felt that this could also be rolled-out to other services including hearing and sight tests. The committee agreed a clause was added to the recommendation in the outcomes of the spotlight review concerning the mobile dental service (under ‘dental access centres and rurality’) to recommend that NHS England West Midland ‘…provide an update following investigations of a mobile dental service; and potential timescales for its introduction.’

·         The committee discussed an additional recommendation to include detail of dental care for new born babied in the ‘Bounty Pack’ handed to parents. The committee agreed the inclusion of an additional recommendation in the outcomes of the spotlight review: ‘To recommend to Bounty the inclusion of information regarding dental care and samples of toothpaste for new-born babies in Bounty packs.’    

·         The committee discussed the wording of the recommendation concerning a campaign to provide advice on foods with a high sugar content. The committee agreed that the ‘sugary food advice’ recommendation was amended to ask the executive to promote a campaign rather than undertake. The proposed change in wording would enable to executive to utilise and build on campaigns already in progress.

Childhood Obesity

·         The committee discussed the prevalence of fast food outlets in deprived areas and the high incidence of childhood obesity in such  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36