The Scheme calls for every dental practice in the UK to be carrying out a thorough head and neck examination as part of regular check-ups. The scheme is a ‘Two minutes to save a life’ screening protocol, which is a 10-point checklist that every dentist should be able to include in their routine examinations in order to increase early detection rates and save lives.
The scheme recognises dental practices that actively prove they carry out thorough head and neck cancer screenings and operate a clearly documented referral pathway with a local specialist department. It also rewards dentists and dental teams for their efforts in raising awareness of mouth cancer.
Awareness is integral to achieving early detection of head and neck cancers, thus saving lives. It will accredit dental practices that meet certain criteria and routinely participate in oral cancer screening. Full membership includes access to a dedicated section of the charity website and free one hour CPD element as well as a wealth of professional development and training modules suitable for all members of the practice team to ensure regular screening benefits practice patients.
Founder of the Mouth Cancer Foundation, Vinod Joshi says “We are hugely grateful to St James’s Place Foundation for their generous donation. The money will enable us to continue to roll out the Mouth Cancer Screening Accreditation Scheme across the UK so we can save as many lives as possible through earlier detection of head and neck cancers.”
St James’s Place Foundation’s Susan Caplan says “St James’s Place Foundation is delighted to be able to give the Mouth Cancer Foundation £2,500 towards the Scheme. My husband, Stuart, knows firsthand what it is like to experience tongue cancer after suffering with a number of symptoms for a year which four doctors and a dentist failed to diagnose as cancer. Introducing thorough head and neck cancer screenings into all dental practices in the UK is a giant leap forward in ensuring other patients avoid an experience like Stuart’s.”
The Mouth Cancer Screening Accreditation Scheme is open to any dentist registered with the GDC or any dental practice whose clinicians are registered with the GDC For more information please contact the Mouth Cancer Foundationvia info@mouthcancerfoundation.org or call +44 (0) 1924 950 950 for more information.