The founder of a Nottingham charity has questioned whether sending out products like toothbrushes to local food banks is the best use of £100,000. NHS England has provided the money, which has to be used "for the promotion of oral health", with data showing over a third of children in Nottingham having visible dental problems by the age of five.
Nottingham City Council said it will use the money to send out oral hygiene products such as toothbrushes and toothpaste in both the city and county. They will be distributed in "food banks and similar settings", according to a council decision published on January 23.
Nigel Adams is the founder of Hope Nottingham, which runs 14 food banks in the city at locations such as Wollaton and Radford. Speaking about the NHS funding, Mr Adams said: "If people are struggling to afford food then they are going to struggle with other items like this and oral hygiene is definitely important for physical and mental well-being.
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"But we are already incredibly well supported by the people of Nottingham in terms of both food and toiletries. This will certainly help, but there needs to be some joined-up thinking.
"Where we are in greater need is having things like mental health support workers. Having those workers in a food bank would be really valuable and they are the kind of things that people obviously can't donate."
A 2020 report, authored by Nottingham City Council and Public Health England, found that people in Nottingham have some of the highest levels of oral disease compared to the national average. The report said: "This can be attributed to Nottingham being a unique city in its high proportion of people from different ethnic backgrounds as well as children and young people, and those living in areas of deprivation."
NHS England previously provided £40,000 of ring-fenced funding in 2021 for the distribution of oral hygiene products. On that occasion, Nottinghamshire County Council accepted the funding and it saw 25,512 toothbrushes and 18,864 tubes of toothpaste being received by 51 food banks.
Nottingham City Council has this time accepted the £100,000 of ring-fenced funding and in its delegated decision on the spending, the authority said: "The current financial pressures on households may limit access to basic oral healthcare products such as fluoride toothpaste and toothbrushes and risk further deterioration in oral health. Services which support people in financial stress (eg food banks) do not have a sustained supply of oral health products."
Roger Garland, the manager of the Bassetlaw Food Bank, said: "We have received oral hygiene products from the council in the past and donations like this are always very welcome, whether they are from the council or the public. We are no different from any other food bank in that we live hand to mouth. We're very well supported, but we can never have enough."
NHS England confirmed that its £100,000 funding was ring-fenced for oral health, but that it was up to local authorities in terms of whether the funding was accepted and how it was used. The body also confirmed that an example of how the funding could be used was the distribution of toothbrushes at food banks.
Liz Pierce, Public Health Consultant at Nottingham City Council, said: "Regular tooth-brushing with a fluoride toothpaste is recommended to help prevent dental problems and this is important for all age groups. However, we understand that affording these items can be a problem for some people.
"We're pleased to accept this additional funding from NHS England to help improve oral health across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, and will work closely with local organisations to make sure the products are distributed where they are most needed."
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