Dental access resources

The Dental Access Programme team developed a series of resources across its four workstreams:

 (i) Procurement

The Department of Health produced a PCT procurement framework, based on the equitable access to primary care procurements, to enable PCTs to provide new dental surgeries and increase numbers of appointments in existing practices.

(ii) Contract management

- A Contract Management Handbook was published to help PCTs and practices manage contracts more consistently and according to best practice.

- The handbook also covers the NICE Guideline on Dental Recall and there is a further briefing on recall intervals and oral health.

- A further set of resources, Delivering Dental Access More Effectively, which covers E-reporting and how to develop a local performance policy, among other elements, was also published.

- There are flowcharts to assist in the management of the small number of extreme cases where it proves necessary to move beyond the approach recommended in the Contract Management Handbook. 

 (iii) Communication

-  A toolkit providing a range of template materials for local public communications campaigns has been developed and is available for PCTs and practices to use to promote their services to new patients.

 (iv) Indicators

- These web pages provide information about the national measures for NHS dental access.