Two pieces of interest from the BBC News website today.
First up, a report by British MPs into the "New Contract" between the NHS and dentists says that the changes have not had the intended effects. In fact, in the first year 900,000 less patients were treated in the 18 months since the new contract, less peope had complex procedures such as bridges and crowns performed, and 45% less people had root canal treatment. Worryingly, the number of tooth extractions rose in thesame period. Kevin Barron MP went on to describe the overall provision of NHS dentistry as "patchy".
Following on from this, the European Commission has detailed its plan to allow EU citizens to seek treatment abroad and be reimbursed (up to a limit) by their local healthcare system. Patients would not have to seek prior approval for non-hospital care. This follows on from the case of Yvonne Watts who paid for her own hip replacement in France after being denied treatment at home, and then successfully sued the NHS for the cost of the treatment.
While the plan is not expected to cause any sudden increase in the numbers of people travelling abroad for treatment, it does aim to make the process easier, allowing patients to escape the red tape of prior approval, which will make a huge difference in the cases of people needing treatment urgently.
[Sources: NHS dentistry reforms 'failing', EU plans cross-border healthcare from BBC News]
