Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 23
23
Accepted
Paragraph: 115
Provide evidence on the effectiveness of initiatives for commissioning local dental services to ICBs.
Recommendation
We welcome the initiatives outlined by the Chief Dental Officer to help ICBs commission dental services in a way that best meets the needs of their local populations. NHS 36 NHS dentistry England should provide evidence of the effectiveness of these initiatives, so that ICBs can see for themselves which options they could most usefully pursue and best practice is spread.
Government Response Summary
The government accepts the recommendation, stating that NHS England published guidance in October 2023 with commissioning options for ICBs, and will release a further publication in 2024 providing practical examples of services and commissioning options to spread best practice.
Paragraph Reference:
115
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Accept Following the delegation of primary care commissioning functions to ICBs on 1st April 2023, local commissioners are understandably seeking to explore new opportunities to commission dental services and support partnerships to prevent poor oral health, meeting the needs of their populations, and ensuring that services provide access to patients and remain safe and viable. As mentioned in response to recommendation 9, NHS England published guidance in October 2023 that provides ICBs with options and points to consider when utilising existing commissioning flexibilities to address local priorities within the national dental contractual framework. Key elements from the regulatory framework and Statement of Financial Entitlements (SFE) have also been included in the guidance so that commissioners can define the scope, limits, and remuneration of services within the requirements of Mandatory Services, Additional Services and Further Services. This will be supported by a further publication in 2024 which will give practical examples of services and the different commissioning options available. NHS England has also published an Assurance Framework which sets out its approach to providing assurance that commissioning functions are carried out safely and effectively by ICBs, including a suite of documents to support ICBs. The OCDO and commissioning team’s ambition is to coproduce a document to encompass the principles and philosophy of good care delivery, together with innovative commissioning examples of how this can be achieved.