National report card on dental health

In Victoria, almost half (49.9%) of people saw a dental professional in the previous 12 months, according to a health survey across the nation for last financial year. While over half (59.7%) of people in Victoria needed to see a dental professional,16.4% of these people could not see one at all when needed.

Tasmania had the highest proportion of people who needed to see a dental professional, according to the 2013-14 ABS Patient Experience Survey. It shows that 22% of Tasmanians who needed to see a dental professional did not, compared with the ACT which had the lowest proportion (12.5%).

People in the ACT were most likely to have seen a dental professional (53%), compared with those in the NT who were least likely (41.5%).

The survey examines peoples' experience with health care.

The ADAVB considers that most of those who needed to see a dental professional but did not, were public dental patients.

'Uninspiring Budget for dental care' - ADA

The Australian Dental Association is disappointed with the Federal Budget, claiming that the Government is leveraging the generosity of dentists to cross-subsidise spending on dental health.

The Association’s Federal President, Dr Rick Olive (right), described the Budget as “uninspiring … for dental care in Australia”.

He said the Budget:

·        Cuts funding for public dental services
·        Reduces rebates for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule
·        Ends the Voluntary Dental Graduate Year and the Oral Health Therapist Graduate Year programs
·        Reduces funding for the Dental Relocation and Infrastructure Support Scheme.

Federal Budget 2015/16 - Dental Impact

The 2015/16 Federal Budget handed down by Treasurer Hockey tonight had mixed news for public dental patients.

While $155m has been allocated to a one year Adult Dental Scheme, this is reduced from the previously promised $395m over four years.  As it only lasts for one year, the future funding of adult dental care, including treatment required by the chronically ill, remains uncertain.

The Medicare Child Dental Benefit Schedule is to be reduced by $126m over the coming four years, and so fewer children will receive the treatment they require.

The Dental Relocation and Infrastructure Support Scheme (DRISS) is also to have incentive provisions reduced by an uncertain amount. This scheme seeks to encourage dentists to relocate to under-served rural areas.

Health promotion funding also appears to have been reduced, and this is likely to impact on excellent oral health promotion programs in Victoria which had relied on Federal funding.

More detailed analysis will follow in ADA publications.

#Budget2015

Federal Government confirms limited dental funding

Minister for Health Sussan Ley today announced that the Abbott Government intended to add dental services to its reform agenda for 2015/16, with more-than $200 million in funding for state and territory services to be included in Tuesday’s Budget to allow for reform work to be undertaken over the next 12 months. 

"Unlike Medicare, which the Commonwealth primarily funds, responsibility for funding dental services is spread across the Federal Government, the states and territories and public and private health providers", she said.

"The Abbott Government will seek to undertake much-needed practical reform of the nation’s fragmented dental system to ensure Australians get seamless access to the services they need, no matter who provides them."

Shadow Health Minister Catherine King said "Today's dental health policy "announcement" by the Health Minister is no more than a cruel hoax, and confirmation of yet another Liberal lie on health. Far from spending $200 million, today's announcement is confirmation of a $390 million cut to dental health spending contained in last year's Budget". 

"In his 2013 election health policy, Tony Abbott explicitly committed to funding the Second National Partnership Agreement with the States to shorten adult waiting lists", she said.

Ms King noted that in his 2013 election health policy, Tony Abbott committed to funding the Second National Partnership Agreement with the States to shorten adult waiting lists.

“The Coalition will honour the arrangements under the National Partnership Agreement for Adult Public Dental Services.”
“The Coalition’s Policy to Support Australia’s Health System” August 2013

"Instead, the Budget put the scheme on hold for one year, denying thousands of adults with very poor dental health access to Adult Public Dental Services and cutting $200 million in its first year, and $390 million in total", she said.

myHealth Record to trial opt-out approach

Minister for Health Sussan Ley today announced that the Abbott Government will redevelop the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR) system set up under the previous Labor Federal Government. The new approach called myHealth Record will trial an opt-out, rather than opt-in, approach as part of a $485 million budget package to develop a national electronic medical records system. 

Less-than one-in-ten Australians are currently signed up to the PCEHR system, which is opt-in, with an independent review last year finding this was not a large enough sample to make it an effective national system or worth the time and effort for patients and doctors using it.

Victorian Dental Budget cuts

Victorian Treasurer Pallas this afternoon announced a reduction in dental services funding from $226.4m in 2014/15 to only $207.8m for 2015/16, chiefly due to a Commonwealth funding agreement coming to an end.

With service delivery costs increasing, the budget would have needed at least a 2% increase to deliver the same outcomes next year as for this year. Depending on whether the Federal Budget delivers additional dental funding via a new National Partnership Agreement, we might see an effective reduction of 12%.

Some new capital funding has been allocated to upgrade selected dental clinic facilities, and this is most welcome.

Other areas of the Victorian Health Budget fared better, and delivered on the promise of a more family friendly set of measures.  In fact the Department of Health and Human Services has been given funding increases well above those of any other Department.

Health Minister Jill Hennessy said:

"Labor always invests in health, unlike the Liberals who cut $1 billion out of the health system and left families on their own. We are doing everything we can to fix the mess the Liberals left behind, and it starts here.”

“It’s about fairness. Everyone should have the care they need, not just the care they can afford.”

Melbourne Dental School a world leader

Melbourne Dental School is one of the leading dental schools in the world, according to the latest QS ranking of universities. Ranked 14th, the school lead two other Australian dental institutions in the top 50 – Adelaide 25th and Sydney 38th.

Sweden’s Karolinka Institutet was number one.

The rankings highlight the world’s top universities in 36 individual subjects, based on academic reputation, employer reputation and research impact.

The survey was conducted by QS, a global career and education network for professionals.

AHPRA wants your views on regulatory principles

National Boards and AHPRA are seeking feedback through an online survey on the regulatory principles that were launched in July last year.

The Regulatory principles describe the National Boards' and AHPRA’s approach to regulation. AHPRA says these principles "encourage a responsive, risk-based approach to regulation and support consistent, balanced decision-making. The aim of the principles is to foster a considered approach to regulation, reducing the risk of unnecessary and ineffective regulatory action, and focussing resources on areas where the result is harm minimisation. We are inviting members of the public, health consumers, health practitioners and all interested persons to share their views on our regulatory principles through this brief survey. The survey has 11 questions and should only take about five to ten minutes to complete."

AHPRA also advises that responses to the survey "will inform the ongoing implementation of the principles and how they could be further developed and improved".

Complete the survey by 9am Monday 18 May by following the link above.