Expansion of fluoridisation ambition

The leader of Northumberland County Council has reiterated a commitment to adding fluoride to more of the county’s water supply in a bid to improve the oral health of residents.

Plans to extend the current scheme proved controversial when mooted prior to the pandemic and were later shelved due to the coronavirus crisis.

Since then the law has changed, meaning the health Secretary now has responsibility for initiating and varying schemes for water fluoridation, taking over from local authorities.

The health and Care Bill changed the powers, with the World health Organisation recommending a maximum level of 1.5mg of fluoride per litre of water to maximise the oral health benefits.

Around six million people in england live in areas with water fluoridation schemes, mainly in the North east and the West Midlands.

The council’s previous plan would see the current scheme extended from the north and west of the county to the southeast, from Blyth out to Bedlington and Morpeth and up the coast to Amble – an area which includes some of Northumberland’s most deprived communities.

The average number of decayed, missing or filled teeth in 12-year-olds in Northumberland in the last available survey (from 2009) was 1.2, which was the highest figure in the North east.

Council leader Glen Sanderson said Northumberland was in a “very bad” position compared with other authorities and added: “I want to get this higher on the political agenda. We need to put pressure on the people in power to put fluoride in our water and if necessary I will write to the Secretary of State myself.”