Welsh Dental Committee newsletter: April 2024

As the new Chair of WDC, I’m delighted to introduce the committee to the dental profession with this newsletter. In March 2024, we reviewed the purpose and goals of the committee and highlighted that one of our key functions is to communicate and disseminate information. From here on, we will provide regular updates on our work through this newsletter. Thanks for reading!

Adam Porter, Chair of the Welsh Dental Committee (WDC).

WDC provides expert professional advice and insight to Welsh Ministers and Welsh Government, providing real world context to inform and shape policy. Comprehensively representing the profession, the committee provides a formal route for a diverse range of stakeholders to collaborate and disseminate information, to ensure quality and sustainability of dental services in Wales and improve the oral health of the population of Wales.

WDC is one of seven independent statutory advisory committees for health in Wales. The other advisory committees represent medical, pharmacy, optometry, allied health professionals, nursing and midwifery, and scientific advice.

Part of our mission is to “comprehensively represent the dental profession”. This means that we need to ensure representation for all regions of Wales, but also all forms of dental service: primary care General Dental Services (GDS), community dentistry, secondary care, and speciality care.

Our membership includes regional members, representing each of the health boards and local dental committees in Wales.

We also have national members representing British Dental Association (BDA), Welsh General Dental Practice Committee, Welsh Committee for Community Dentists, General Dental Council (GDC), Dental Public Health, Specialist Advisory Forum, Cardiff Dental School, Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), and dental care professionals.

WDC would like to highlight the strong representation of dental practices in the list of awards within the recent Greener Primary Care Wales report.

Gold awards were won by Brackla Dental Surgery, Greenacre Orthodontics, North Cardiff Dental and Implants, and Vale View Dental Care.

Silver awards went to Talbot Road Dental Practice and Y Bont Faen Dental Centre. A Bronze award was received by Cwtch Dental Care.

There was also a Sustainability Hero Award for Flo King of North Cardiff Dental and Implants, and an Innovation for Engagement Award for Greenacre Orthodontics, Connah’s Quay.

We would like to congratulate all of these practices and individuals for their strong work in sustainability and encourage other practices to access the Greener Primary Care Wales Framework.

In March 2024, the Welsh Government heads of profession published their position statement. The statement included a call for action, recommending that every health practitioner supports climate action in their organisation by advocating for sustainable practice at all levels of care delivery. It also asks that practitioners support their colleagues in this regard. By prioritising environmental sustainability, healthcare staff can create a healthier future for patients and the planet. Now more than ever, we need a prudent and collaborative response to address the local, national and global challenges our health and care systems are facing.

WDC considered the heads of profession statement in our most recent meeting along with the Bevan Commission’s 2023 document “What a Waste!” which breaks down waste in healthcare into 6 categories:

W – Workforce (staff turnover, vacancies)
A – Administration (digital, appointments, communication) 
S – Services (cleaning, equipment) 
T – Treatment (medication, errors, inappropriate treatment) 
E – Energy (transport, building, utilities)
S – Systems (technology, inappropriate referral)

If you have any queries or thoughts about the work of the WDC, please contact Committeesecretariat1@gov.wales