Meeting with Jo Churchill scheduled for 26 February 2020

I am delighted to update you with the news that the Under-Secretary of State for Health & Social Care, Jo Churchill, has agreed to meet myself and Kate Green (my local MP) on 26th February in Westminster.  As part of her remit, Jo Churchill is responsible for primary and dental care and can really affect changes. 

Unfortunately, Dr Mohsan Ahmad (Chair of the Greater Manchester Local Dental Network) cannot join us but he has given me documentation that I will add to the briefing note I will leave with the Department of Health & Social Care for further discussion after our meeting.  The documentation he has given me not only explains why dentists support this campaign but also includes details of a training package that has recently been introduced in the Greater Manchester area, delivered to dental practices, specifically outlining the special care and needs required by cancer patients.  Although the training package and this campaign were designed completely separately, they dove-tail and complement each other to give an overall package of desperately needed changes.  Even better news is that the Government, if they so wish, has a ready-made package of training that could be implemented Nationwide.

The meeting in itself is a huge step forward for the Campaign and I hope will be the start of many.  At this initial meeting I will be discussing the need for the following.

1.           Provision of free dental costs for all cancer patients, mirroring the exemption for prescription charges whereby costs are waived for a period of 5 years from diagnosis (renewable if treatments for cancer are ongoing); and

2.           A document provided to all newly diagnosed cancer patients, informing them of the immediate need to seek dental assistance prior to cancer treatments commencing.  A patient’s General Practitioner is typically the first clinician to be aware of the diagnosis and therefore it is suggested that they should be tasked with giving the patient the documentation, tailored specifically for the local area (see below).

3.           The documentation should include a list of dental practices in each area who will treat the cancer patient on the NHS whether that person is registered with them or not.  This is crucial to ensure patients are able to access NHS dental treatment and are not forced to pay for private care due to time constraints or the inability to see an NHS dentist. 

4.           A priority system set up for cancer patients to have access to a dentist and free treatment within 7 days or less of initial contact.  This ensures most dental treatment can be carried out in a timely manner and avoid delays in life-saving cancer treatment that will follow.

5.           A review of how specialist dental treatments (for example, for complex or failed root canal treatments) can be covered by the NHS for cancer patients.  Currently, Endo-dontists carry out certain dental work and this is always on a private basis, not NHS.  There is no provision for a cancer patient to access these services on the NHS.

I am aware that many many MPs have now written to Matt Hancock/Jo Churchill, regarding the campaign and have expressed their support.  Thank you to every one of you who has taken the time to involve your MP.

I would also like to reiterate that although I am meeting with the Department responsible for dental health in England, I will be asking that changes are considered for all of the UK - so at some point, perhaps a cross-government meeting is scheduled with Ministers from the Scottish, Welsh and Irish governments.  Unfortunately, dental care/costs differ in all areas so there’s not one size fits all but I am hoping if free dental care for cancer patients is granted in England and a sensible way of how it can be financed properly is designed, this will filter through to all the other countries.  Very often, one team will make changes and this acts as a model for others and I am hoping that this will be the case for this campaign – no point lots of different people pulling in different directions.

Again, I still need to ask for your help please.  With this meeting being in the next few weeks, can I ask that you really push the campaign and get everybody you know to sign and share.  Numbers are significant. 

I do read most of the comments left under the updates and have taken on some suggestions so if there’s anything you think should be included at the meeting, please feel free to leave a note.  I do need to stress that this meeting is only 30 minutes though so I will only be able to give a helicopter view of the campaign’s key points so can't turn up with a huge shopping list!