William Eichler 20 March 2023

Care home residents struggle to access NHS dental care

Care home residents struggle to access NHS dental care image
Image: Toa55/Shutterstock.com.

The proportion of care home providers saying that people who use their services could 'never' access NHS dental care has increased fourfold, according to the health and social care regulator finds.

A new report into oral health in care homes by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has found a number of significant improvements since a similar study in 2019.

Based on inspections of 50 care homes, the new report found that Care homes are much more aware of the NICE oral health guidelines. In 2019, only 61% were aware of the guidance. This has increased to 91%.

The 2022 study also found that more than double the proportion of care plans fully covered oral health needs (60%), compared to 2019 (27%).

The percentage of care home providers saying that staff always – or mostly always – receive specific training in oral health has doubled from 30% in 2019 to 60% in 2022.

However, the CQC’s study also found that the proportion of care home providers saying that people who use their services could 'never' access NHS dental care rose from 6% in 2019 to 25% in 2022.

Commenting on the report, Mary Cridge Director of Adult Social Care at CQC said: ‘Our review for our first Smiling matters report in 2019 set out to discover how well care home and dental providers were implementing the NICE guideline on oral health. We found that staff awareness of the guideline recommendations was low, and not everyone was supported to keep their teeth or dentures clean.

‘Whilst I am pleased to see that many of our recommendations from 2019 have been taken on board, and providers are more aware of how important oral health is to keeping people healthy, we recognise that there is still room for improvement. In particular, it is imperative that more is done to ensure people have access to vital care from dentists and that oral and dental health is included in all care plans.’

The £37,000 SEND Problem image

The £37,000 SEND Problem

Natalie Kenneison, COO at Imosphere, argues that the real SEND funding crisis isn’t just about budgets - it’s about the systems behind the decisions.
SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Financial Strategy Manager (Revenue)

The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Council
Negotiable
Bring clarity to complex decisions and help shape how we invest in our borough's future.Bring clarity to complex decisions and help shape how we inves England, London
Recuriter: The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Council

Team Manager - Locality

Wakefield Council
£55,979.00, Grade 13
Wakefield Children’s Services have been rated by Ofsted as GOOD with outstanding leadership. Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recuriter: Wakefield Council

Safeguarding Business Support

Wakefield Council
£12,792.00 - £13,634.50, Grade 5, 18.5 hours, Temporary- 12 Months Maternity Cover
An opportunity has arisen for an Administrator to support the Integrated Front Door Service Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recuriter: Wakefield Council

Registered Homes Manager

Durham County Council
Grade 14 £48,710 - £52,805 (Pay Award Pending) plus £2,500 recruitment/retention allowance and £3,500 market supplement. The salary with additional payments equate to an earning potential per annum of £58,805 at the top of the grade.
Salary
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Team Manager, Connected Carers

Durham County Council
Grade 14 £48,710 - £52,805 (Pay Award Pending)
Are you passionate about supporting children to remain within their family networks? Do you have the leadership skills to guide a dedicated team worki Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council
Linkedin Banner