21 December 2022
More than 1,000 children who are due a dental appointment with Health and Community Services
are benefitting from a new scheme which was launched to tackle waiting time delays caused by
Covid-19.
HCS has commissioned five private practices – Smile Group, Colomberie Clinic and Dental Practice,
The Dental Studio, Confidence Dental and Wellbeing and Windsor Crescent Dental Practice – to see
patients aged between four and 11 free of charge, who are on the waiting list for their first routine
appointment with the community dental department.
The scheme is being funded by the Covid-19 Recovery Strategy. It aims to help reduce the waiting
list for the department, which was severely impacted by the Covid pandemic and the safety
measures implemented to mitigate the spread of the virus. This meant that the number of patients
the Community Dental team could see was severely restricted.
The department has an emergency triage service for patients with toothache and pain. Patients
who require routine appointments, who are aged between four and 11 and were on the waiting list
for the community dental team as of 31 October, are eligible for the new scheme.
HCS initially launched the partnership working with the five practices as a pilot earlier this year,
with 200 patients opting in. Following their initial appointment, a patient either remains under the
care of the private dentist for subsequent treatment as part of the scheme, or, if they do not
require treatment they are transferred back into the care of the community dental team and will be
seen again within an agreed recall date of between six and 12 months, depending on the patient’s
clinical need.
Due to the success of the pilot, the scheme has now been fully rolled out and has been extended to
a further 833 patients.
The private practices, who underwent a tendering process, charge HCS an agreed set amount for
each appointment or treatment they undertake. Patients who choose not to opt-in to the scheme
remain on the waiting list for the community dental team.
Six-year-old Clara Trilho has already been seen under the scheme. Her mother, Ana, said: “Teeth
are so important. If you don’t have good teeth, you don’t eat well and your health goes down. It’s
been a relief that she has been seen. The team were really nice and she enjoyed going. She is
booked again in three months’ time for a check-up.”
Sarah Evans, General Manager for the Community Dental team, said: “By working with our
colleagues in the private sector we are able to get on top of our waiting lists which have grown
during the Covid pandemic. This scheme is great news for our routine patients as it means that
they are being seen in a timely manner so that they can keep on top of their oral health.”
The Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Karen Wilson, said: “I am pleased to see
progress around waiting lists for children’s health. This is a great example of primary and secondary
care working in partnership to deliver better services for children who have been affected by delays
caused by the pandemic, and as a start of the turnaround for HCS.”
Dr Daniela Machado, from Colomberie Clinic, said: “I think the initiative is fantastic and a great way
to help reduce the hospital waiting list. I worked previously as a dental officer at Jersey General
Hospital, so I can appreciate the hard work that is put in by the team there to reduce waiting lists
whilst treating patients and tackling emergencies.
“The scheme has run very smoothly from both an administrative and clinical perspective.
Parents and patients are very happy to be seen so quickly under the scheme and to have any issues
or treatments dealt with promptly.”
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