Roundtable event to explore how to resource dentistry

I was honoured to be asked to take part in a recent roundtable event with key stakeholders from across the dental sector, hosted by the Association of Dental Groups, in partnership with LaingBuisson. We were brought together to discuss the challenges of delivering modern dental care in the wake of a changing workforce and identify potential solutions to ensure the long-term sustainability of NHS dentistry.

The latest statistics continue to show that access to NHS dentistry is stable or improving and that the number of dentists in training is on the increase. However, the figures mask regional disparity and the undersupply of dentists in some areas of the country is as acute as ever. What’s more, the sector could be storing up resourcing problems for the future unless it adapts to the changing nature of the workforce and prepares carefully for the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and consequent potential disruption to the supply of overseas dentists.

Entitled ‘Resourcing dentistry: Finding the future workforce’, the roundtable aimed to unpack some of the key issues and identify the levers that government, regulators and corporate dentistry

providers need to pull in order to ensure that NHS dentistry can continue to provide the level of care that patients need and expect.

From the changing shape of the workforce and the evolving skills mix to the role of government, it was a fascinating discussion.