Agenda item

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Children and Young People which outlined Children’s Oral Health in Halton recently endorsed by both the Children and Young People and Healthy Halton Policy and Performance Boards. It was reported that on 27^th November 2007 the Children and Young People’s PPB agreed that children and young people’s oral health should provide the focus for scrutiny during 2008. It was advised that the Council’s Annual performance Assessment of services for children and young people in Halton reported that “The Local Authority’s performance on oral health was weaker than national and remained an area of development”. It recommended that the Local Authority should “accelerate plans to improve oral health”.

            The Board were informed that the Oran Health Scrutiny Group was a joint scrutiny topic comprising of Members from the Healthy Halton and Children and Young People’s PPB. The Board was advised that the Scrutiny Group would:

·        Receive and consider evidence presented on the state of children’s oral health in the Borough; and

·        Consider the information in relation to statistical neighbours and national and regional benchmarks; and consider for securing improvement.

            It was reported that dental health in Halton was poor and using data from epidemiological studies of child dental health, it was evident that 16 of the 21 electoral wards that comprised Halton Local Authority, dental health of five year olds was worse than the national average. This position was similar amongst the 12 year old population. It was noted that against this background Halton and St. Helens PCT had developed a dental commissioning strategy the aims of this were outlined in the report.

            It was reported that the dental commissioning strategy was accepted by the PCT Board in March 2008 and funding was provided to ensure that key dental health objectives identified within the strategy were addressed. In 2008-09 the PCT elected to focus on the priority issues:

1.         Improving child dental health and reducing dental             health inequality.

2.         Improving access to primary dental care.

            The background to each of these and details of how they would be achieved was outlined in the report for Members’ consideration.

            The Chair of Healthy Halton PPB addressed the Board and noted in particular the importance of ‘Lancashire Trial’ as it was reported that 30% of children in the Borough did not visit a dentist therefore the treatment to take place in school settings would benefit a wider range of children.

            RESOLVED: That

(1)   the Executive Board be requested to approve the recommendations contained in 2.1 to 2.3 below;

(1)   Halton and St. Helens PCT should, subject to parental consent and outcomes of the “Lancashire Trial”, support the administering of fluoride varnish to children, to take place in school settings;

(2)   Halton and St. Helens PCT should take steps to support the take up dental services by vulnerable young people who may not have regular access to dental services or be registered with a dentist; and

(3)   the Children and Young People’s Policy and Performance Board should keep under review the implementation of the Oral Health Strategy.