THE government has today welcomed “helpful recommendations” which are included in an independent review on the salaried dental service.

Minister for Health, Mr David Anderson, says that the findings and recommendations in the independent review of the Salaried Dental Service, commissioned by his Department, will assist in future development of the service.

He said, “I am pleased that this report acknowledges the high quality of the services being delivered by the Salaried Dental Service, whilst at the same time making helpful recommendations for future development which in some cases, will require thorough assessment and consultation.”

The author of the review, Dr Iain Pretty, a senior lecturer in Dental Public Health, Director of Postgraduate Education & Research at Manchester University, paid compliment to the staff and management in the service, recognising their dedication and their focus on improving oral health for the Island’s residents.

The recommendations include:

• Developing alternative providers for some aspects of the salaried service where recruitment was especially problematic or where the long term sustainability of the service is unclear.

• Development of improved performance management.

• That the Island consider developing a specialist training post for dentists, in conjunction with the Mersey or North West deanery for special care dentistry, in order to improve the retention and recruitment of staff and to help improve professional standards across the dental profession in the Isle of Man.

Carolyn Lewis, clinical director, said, “Together with the staff in the service, I welcome the recognition this report gives to the dedication shown by staff.

“We appreciate the opportunities afforded to us, to strengthen and improve the services we will be delivering in the future for the benefit of our patients.”