Sir, as a member of the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry (BASCD) I was surprised to read in the BDJ that a letter1 had been sent on my behalf to the Secretary of State for Health stating that 'BASCD is formally opposed to the Bill' and listing 'three points to be addressed at minimum'.

It is unfortunate for the reputation of a scientific association that the positives for dentistry in the Bill were not itemised. For the record these include:

  • Public Health Outcomes Framework, measure of decay in 5-year-olds, means that Local Authorities will be monitored on this with respect to their public health responsibilities

  • The entirety of dental commissioning (both primary and secondary) in one place (ie NHSCB)

  • Single operating framework enables consistent approach to commissioning dentistry

  • Dental local professional networks which enables local sensitivity and a responsible professional input to discussions.

There are always two sides to any story: that even includes the NHS Health Reform Bill!