Elections

1. I was very honoured to be re-elected unopposed as Chair of the GDPC, and to be joined again by Shiv Pabary and Vijay Sudra as Vice Chairs.

Chair’s report

2. I updated the Committee on my political engagements since the last GDPC meeting, including my meeting with Neil O’Brien MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care; attendance at the All Party Parliamentary Group in
early December, where I had spoken with several MPs including the new Chair of that Group; and LDC Officials Day, at which I had given a speech on the GDPC’s recent activities. I had also regularly updated the PEC on matters that had risen during GDPC meetings. I promised
to continue to maintain a high-profile for dentistry in the media wherever possible.

Dental Contract Reform

3. I presented on a range of policy issues with regards to DCR. Based on observations from the prototypes, it had been agreed that some of GDPC’s long standing positions revolve around a prevention-focused capitated-based system, away from the inequalities of the UDA system, with a different approach to high-needs patients to the one that had been in place. Unfortunately, NHS England had continued to focus on smaller changes to the current framework. The Committee was informed that continuous efforts were in place to engage
with NHS England on these marginal changes, while also pressing for more ambitious alternatives to the UDA system.