NHS dental payment reform: equality impact assessment record

X

This policy has no impact on discrimination, harassment and victimisation with regard to age.

X

To the extent that older people have a greater treatment need, sustaining access to NHS dental services will have a disproportionate benefit on this group.

To the extent that older people are more likely to require laboratory based treatments (such as dentures) they will be impacted by the increased costs of laboratory based treatments.

The access challenge is also more prevalent in remote and rural areas which have a greater proportion of people in older age groups.

Given that the objective of payment reform is to encourage the dental sector to provide NHS services, improving access could have a disproportionately beneficial impact on those patients such as elderly patients currently most impacted by the access challenges.

Our overall view is that the net effect is positive on this group of patients.

X

There will no longer be a distinction between the treatment items available to children and adults, and therefore children will now be able to benefit from the full range of treatment items that are also available to adults.

As we are moving regular care and treatment for child patients to fee-per-item we believe that payment reform will incentivise greater oral health care of children in practice.

X

This policy has no impact on discrimination, harassment and victimisation with regard to disability.

X

Individuals with disabilities are at higher risk of developing poor oral health and are therefore more likely to require more dental treatment. To the extent that payment reform sustains and improves access to NHS dental services, payment reform will have a disproportionate benefit on those patients who are disabled and require more dental treatment.

It is recognised that some disabled patients may be impacted by the higher costs of NHS care.

Our view is that the disproportionate benefits with the higher treatment needs of sustaining access to NHS dental services outweighs higher treatment costs of NHS care.

X

This policy has no impact on promoting good relations among and between disabled and non-disabled people.

X

This policy has no impact on discrimination, harassment and victimisation with regard to sex.

X

Men are more likely to require dental treatment given that they are more likely than women to ignore their oral health, have poorer oral hygiene habits and higher rates of periodontal disease, oral cancer and dental trauma.

Women may be impacted by the increased costs to a greater extent given that they are less likely to be in full-time employment.

Given that the objective of payment reform is to sustain NHS dental services, then those with greater treatment need are likely to benefit disproportionately.

Although the additional costs of NHS dentistry may impact on women more because they are less likely to be in full-time work, sustaining NHS dental access reduces the risk that this group would be faced with the much higher costs of NHS dentistry.

Our view is that the overall effect is positive.

X

This policy has no impact on promoting good relations between men and women.

X

This policy has no impact on discrimination, harassment and victimisation in relation to pregnancy and maternity.

X

Dentists will be given greater clinical freedom and there will no longer be a requirement for prior approval to receive composite fillings for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and therefore patients in this group will receive this type of treatment sooner than they are currently able to.

X

This policy has no impact on promoting good relations in relation to pregnancy or maternity.

X

This policy has no impact on discrimination, harassment and victimisation in relation to people who are undergoing gender reassignment.

X

This policy has no impact on advancing equality of opportunity in relation to people who are undergoing gender reassignment.

X

This policy has no impact on promoting good relations in relation to people who are undergoing gender reassignment.

X

This policy has no impact on discrimination, harassment and victimisation in relation to sexual orientation.

X

LGB+ people are more likely to live in deprived areas and have a higher rate of poverty compared to straight/heterosexual people, and therefore they may be more affected by the increased cost of dental treatment.

However, the main objective of payment reform is to sustain access to NHS dental services. To the extent that reduced access to NHS dental services has a disproportionate effect on LGB+ patients and recourse to private dentistry, then payment reform in preserving NHS services has a disproportionate benefit for these patients.

Our view is improving access for this group outweighs the additional cost of NHS dental care.

X

This policy has no impact on promoting good relations between people of different sexual orientations.

X

This policy has no impact on discrimination, harassment and victimisation in relation to race.

X

It is anticipated that the new system will improve access to dental services and therefore refugees may be able to access dental services quicker than they are currently able to do so.

In additional to this, Gypsy/Traveller patients, who may not be registered at a dental practice, will now have access to the full range of treatment items that are available to registered patients.

Furthermore, the simplified system will be easier to understand for patients who have difficulties speaking English and require the use of a translator.

Increased NHS dental costs may have a disadvantageous impact on ethnic minority groups, but sustaining access to NHS dental services outweighs this impact by preserving this group from paying for private treatment.

X

This policy has no impact on promoting good relations in relation to race.

X

This policy has no impact on discrimination, harassment and victimisation in relation to religion or belief.

X

Muslims may be more likely to be affected by higher NHS treatment costs. However, preserving access to NHS dental services preserves this group from the costs of private dental care.

X

This policy has no impact on promoting good relations between people of different religions and beliefs.

X

This policy has no impact on discrimination, harassment and victimisation in relation to socio-economic status.

X

To the extent that people in lower SIMD areas have a greater treatment need, sustaining access to NHS dental services will have a disproportionate benefit on this group.

Being more likely to have decayed teeth, poor oral hygiene and higher levels of periodontal disease, people from lower SIMD areas are more likely to require dental treatment.

People living in the lowest SIMD areas are more likely to have no (or less) natural teeth compared with people living in the least deprived areas.

To the extent that people from lower SIMD areas require additional dental treatment they will be impacted by higher NHS costs.

Our overall view is that the net effect is positive on this group of patients. The main objective of payment reform is to sustain access to NHS dental services. To the extent that reduced access to NHS dental services has a disproportionate effect on patients in the most deprived areas and recourse to private dentistry, then payment reform in preserving NHS services has a disproportionate benefit for these patients.

X

This policy has no impact on promoting good relations between people of different SIMD areas.

N/A – policy does not relate to work related practices such as HR policies.