Professor Liz Kay, Foundation Dean of the Peninsula Dental School at Plymouth University, has been appointed a specialist committee member on the oral health promotion in care homes and hospitals Quality Standards Advisory Committee at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
The appointment comes after Liz was a member of the guideline development group which created a new NICE guideline for improved oral health in care homes. The guideline – 'Oral health for adults in care homes' – includes recommendations for those who have responsibility for the health of care home residents. It calls for training for care staff and access to dental services when needed.
As a full specialist committee member Liz will apply her professional knowledge to NICE debates on a standard for the quality and measurement of oral health promotion in care homes and hospitals. She will: investigate invited expert testimony; identify key areas for quality improvement; consider the resource and equality impacts of the standard; review feedback from stakeholders following consultation, and; refine draft quality statements.
She will also contribute to the development of supporting resources to accompany the quality standard and indicators for national programmes such as the Quality and Outcomes Framework for primary care, and the Clinical Commissioning Group Outcome Indicator Set.
Commenting on her appointment Liz said:
“This is a huge honour and a great opportunity to help form improvements to oral health promotion in health care environments where there is need. Those receiving care, either in a hospital or a care home, need to be reassured that their good oral health is foremost in the minds of those delivering their care. I am looking forward to contributing to the development of a NICE standard which will achieve this.”