Political persuasion

Dental Update recently hosted the keynote speech from Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock at the British Dental Industry Association (BDIA) Dental showcase. The event held at London's ExCeL arena is one of the biggest dental events in the UK. The minister's keynote address gave pause for thought on where we are with NHS dentistry now, and looking to the future, and Mr Kinnock seemed fully engaged in looking at solutions in a pragmatic and realistic manner.

Indeed, a new government is often a time of hope and optimism for people, the old guard is brushed aside and a new set of leaders with different policies and priorities set out their plans to make our lives better, often by addressing the problems left by the previous government.

So, should we be optimistic about NHS dentistry? After all, we have been told it is top of the new government's agenda, they campaigned on a pledge to get NHS dentistry back on its feet and regularly held the previous government to account on their dismal record in supporting the sector.