The aim of the newly developed Paediatric Dentistry Managed Clinical Network is to ensure the highest standard of appropriate oral care for all children throughout the South West region. This is an exciting opportunity to play an integral role providing dental clinical leadership to support NHS England – South West’s dental commissioning. The new MCN Chair will be linked via the Local Dental Network Chair, into the Dental Transformation Programme and the development of the South West Dental Reform Programme.

The role of the MCNs is to ensure high quality patient care in an equitable manner across the region. Find out more here. (click on the link to take you to all other MCNs)

It will be the responsibility of the MCN Chair to oversee the Paediatric Dentistry Clinical Network in line with the Terms of Reference published by NHS England. The network involves clinicians from all aspects of dentistry who have successfully applied and been appointed to the Network.  Ultimately, the role of the MCNs, through the leadership of the Chairs, will be to ensure high quality patient care in an equitable manner across the region.   Key personal qualities of the postholders will include:

• To foster and create a culture of clinical engagement across the MCN to continuously improve services
• Establish effective collaborative working to ensure the Network meets local and national priorities and action plans
• Maintain the engagement of all members of the MCN in developing and implementing evidence-based pathways
• Agree a yearly work plan, objectives and time frames with NHS England – South West Local Dental Network core group
• Interface with the LDN to contribute to local planning and prioritisation and understand the wider local priorities and action plans. To agree objectives and report on progress.
• Receive and consider information on clinical needs assessments, service delivery, quality, treatment outcomes, cost-effectiveness and equity of access data, in order to advise NHS England and NHS Improvement, Health Education England (HEE), Public Health England (PHE) and Local Professional Network (LDN) leads.
• Contribute to the development and subsequent implementation of strategies that will improve service care provision.
• Contribute to the development of referral management systems.
• Support the implementation of evidence-based pathways of the best and most cost-effective patient care across all sectors of service provision (i.e. primary, secondary, and tertiary care).
• Communicate freely with other regional MCN’s to either adopt or adapt relevant systems and approaches that may be of benefit to the local population.
• Ensure there is a mechanism for patients’ and carers views on their local clinical services to be expressed and heard.
• Advise on criteria to improve quality, value, and treatment outcomes.
• Contribute to an appraisal system for providers in collaboration with the local Director of Health Education England and other appropriate bodies.
• Communicate with and about general dental and primary care practitioners or contracted providers to identify where performance could be improved in the delivery of what is expected within primary care to guide commissioners.
• Advise on areas where further education would be beneficial and, communicate this to Health Education England.
• Report and share the activities and effect of the Paediatric Dentistry Managed Clinical Network, to support LDNs and commissioners meet the needs of the local population, in a role that is integral to the NHS England commissioning process.

Recovery of GA services across the South West

Sarah Dewhurst, Chair of the Paediatric Dentistry MCN and colleagues have been meeting with service leads across the south West to discuss mapping of all Dental General Anaesthetics in the South West for children and young people under the age of 16 years old.  The team are supporting services by looking at provision of services, number of children and young people waiting for treatment alongside numbers of clinics provided.

With use of the Welfare Checks for paediatric dental patients and the Surgical prioritisation tool both valuable documents in driving services forward.  Meetings are continuing and the Paediatric Dentistry MCN are hoping to present the data and outcomes in the near future.  In the meantime please see the above mentioned documents.  Any queries please contact the Dental Network Manager Joanne Purvis: joanne.purvis2@nhs.uk

Core Membership

• Clinical Chair: Sarah Dewhurst, Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry UHB
• Dental Network Manager: Joanne Purvis
• LDN Chair: Matthew Jerreat
• Specialist in Special Care (Cornwall): Mick Allen
• Clinical Network Manager (Plymouth): Catherine Carpenter-Clawson
• Consultant Anaesthetics (Plymouth): Simon Courtman
• Dental Clinical Lead (Torbay and South Devon): Firoozeh Curran
• Clinical Lead (North Devon): Matthew Heming
• Consultant if Special Care Dentistry (Somerset / Dorset): Lorna Hollingsworth
• Clinical Lead (Plymouth): Elaine Knight
• Clinical Director (Wiltshire / Swindon): Lucy McArthur
• Senior Paediatric Dental Officer (Gloucestershire): Barbara Schena
• Clinical Director (Bristol): Khurram Rashid
• NHS England SW Contracts Manager: Tessa Fielding / Jo Lawton
• Dental Public Health: Reena Patel
• Health Education England: Samantha Braddock
• DCP Representation: Harriet Buley-Snell

Meetings:

• Meetings are held approximately every three months
• Annual AGM
• Study days and educational CPD with accredited content will also be scheduled on an annual basis

For all Paediatric Dentistry MCN queries you can contact:

Paediatric MCN Clinical Chair

Sarah Dewhurst

Email: s.dewhurst1@nhs.net

Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry UHB

Dental Network Manager

Joanne Purvis

Email: joanne.purvis2@nhs.net