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The francis report – implications for oral care of the elderly Nicholas Beacher M Petrina Sweeney Dental Update 2024 42:4, 707-709.
Authors
NicholasBeacher
BDS, MFDS RCPSG
Clinical Lecturer in Special Care Dentistry, Glasgow Dental School, School of Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, UK
Senior Lecturer/Honorary Consultant in Special Care Dentistry. Glasgow Dental School, School of Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, UK
Oral health is an essential, yet often neglected, aspect of care in the elderly population. A mouth free of pain and disease which is functional, comfortable and aesthetic improves quality of life. Following the shocking reports of patient neglect and abuse published in the Francis Report, the dental profession must acknowledge that there are longstanding deficiencies in the provision of oral healthcare for the elderly, whether residing in care homes, hospitals or at home with support. It must be a universal goal to improve the care provision for this population through developing a greater understanding and overcoming the multi-factorial barriers to care. This article will highlight the key features of the Francis Report and its significance in the context of oral healthcare provision for the elderly.
Clinical Relevance: To provide insight into the oral healthcare needs of the growing elderly population and the necessity of dealing with the current limitations in service provision.
Article
The Francis Report is arguably the single greatest invitation for change in the provision of care in the history of the NHS. The pages of the Report reveal case after case of abuse and neglect from those who were educated to, and entrusted with, care for fellow human beings when they were at their most vulnerable.1 The incomprehensible conduct of healthcare professionals and their managers occurred repeatedly to the point where it became accepted as normal. In its effort to be a business, the crown jewel of the nation, the NHS, failed its patients and their loved ones at every level.
The dental profession cannot hide from the stark and uncomfortable truths laid out in the Francis Report. We, too, have grown to accept the deficiencies in the oral and dental care provided for our elderly population. We have neither addressed the existing significant disease burden nor how we manage it. As we stand on the threshold of a new post-Francis era of healthcare, the profession must strive to meet the oral healthcare needs of our ageing population with patients at the very centre of care.
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