Oral Health Market Testing Camden and Islington

Overview

Overview

The London Borough of Camden and Islington are carrying out a market engagement exercise on the proposal to tender a joint oral health promotion service contract to start on the 1^st of July 2015. It is anticipated that the contract will be for an initial period of three years with the option for two extensions of one year each. In the region of £700,000 (£350,000 in Camden and £350,000 in Islington) will be available annually for this contract which is funded wholly by the Camden and Islington Public Health.

The National Dental Epidemiology Programme for England: oral health survey of five-year-old children (2012) confirms that Camden and Islington continue to have higher prevalence and severity of dental decay in young children when compared with neighbouring boroughs and the England average. While oral health indicators in Islington are improving, in Camden oral health amongst five-year-old children is getting worse. Additionally, local health intelligence highlights significant oral health needs in older people and other vulnerable groups.

The Councils wish to commission organisation/s to deliver an innovative oral health promotion service which aims to improve oral health of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and reduce oral health inequalities in both communities. We are looking to build on the success of oral health promotion model that has been implemented in Islington and consider the latest evidence-based interventions. We are seeking expressions of interest from providers that might be interested in delivering this service.

Purpose of the service:

• Delivering consistent evidence based oral health promotion messages to children, their families/carers, vulnerable adults and older people
• Maximise delivery of fluoride to children, vulnerable adults and older people  
• Working collaboratively with partners to integrate oral health promotion with general health promotion using common risk factor approach
• Developing oral health promotion capacity across partner agencies
• Delivering community-based fluoride varnish programmes 
• Delivering evidence based oral health promotion schemes e.g. supervised tooth-brushing scheme in targeted childhood settings 

Overarching strategic outcomes:

• Reduction in tooth decay levels in five-year-old children (population)
• Reduction in tooth decay rates in the most disadvantaged areas in the local authority
• Reduced tooth extractions in hospitals
• Increased access to the NHS dental services

Service objectives:

• Improved oral health knowledge and self-efficacy amongst parents/carers, children, vulnerable adults and older people
• Improved oral health behaviour e.g. tooth-brushing with fluoride toothpaste amongst   parents/carers, children, vulnerable adults and older people
• Improved oral health knowledge amongst health, education, social care professionals and voluntary sector professionals
• Increase in general health promotion programmes that incorporate oral health promotion
• Increased number of children who receive two fluoride applications per year
• Increased number of children’s settings with tooth-brushing schemes
• Increased number of nursing homes achieving oral health CQC standards

Potential oral health promotion model and expected outcomes:

1. Oral Health Promotion

1. Target group: children and young people
   • Number (%) of the peer-led oral health support groups established to support children and their families/carers
   • Number (%) of targeted children reached by fluoride toothpaste and toothbrush schemes
   • Number (%) of the children’s workforce (children centres, schools, NHS, social care, voluntary sector) who have received oral health training
   • Number (%) of general health promotion, NHS, social care, voluntary sector programmes that include oral health promotion
   • Number (%) of schools with supervised tooth-brushing scheme

2. Target group: vulnerable adults/older people
   • Number (%) of the peer-led oral health support groups established to support vulnerable adults and older people in improving their oral health
   • Number (%) of targeted vulnerable adults and older people reached by fluoride toothpaste and toothbrush schemes
   • Number (%) of the vulnerable adults’ workforce (NHS, social care, housing schemes, voluntary sector) who have received oral health training
   • Number (%) of general health promotion, NHS, social care and voluntary sector programmes that include oral health promotion
   • Number (%) of nursing homes meeting oral health CQC standards

2. Community Fluoride Varnish Programme 

•   Number (%) of targeted children reached by community fluoride varnish programmes

.

Why your views matter

Before commencing a procurement process, the councils wish to undertake market sounding on the process and therefore would welcome the views of providers on the questions set out below. 

We would like to receive feedback on the following areas and any other comments that you may have. Organisations will have an opportunity to ask clarification questions on the specifications once the procurement process in underway

What happens next

Camden and islington Council will use the information gathered during this market testing consultation to inform their proposed procurement of Oral Health Promotional services.

Please note any future procurement is subject to Camden and Islington Council's governance procedures