UK - Health bosses to look at fluoridation costs

Health bosses to look at fluoridation costs
12:50pm Monday 27th October 2008
By Jane Lavender »
THE cost of adding fluoride to Bolton’s water is to be examined by health bosses.
Primary Care Trust chiefs in Bolton have agreed to allow regional chiefs to examine the issue more closely.
Bolton was one of three towns in Greater Manchester which had not asked NHS North-west to produce a fluoridation plan, but the Primary Care Trust board has now officially submitted its request.
Alison Merry, consultant in dental public health for Bolton PCT, said: “Levels of dental decay are much worse in Bolton compared to the rest of England. We want to do all we can to improve this. Before any new fluoridation scheme can be introduced a set process needs to be followed and a public consultation would be held. But we are not at that stage yet as more work first needs to be done to look at the costs and practicalities of adding fluoride to the local water supply.”
If all of Greater Manchester’s 10 PCT’s give the go-ahead then a public consultation will be launched late next year.
In the UK, fluoridated water is supplied to around 5.5 million people.
The West Midlands and parts of the North-east and Cumbria have already had fluoride added to their water supply.
Anti-fluoride campaigners are calling for a referendum on whether it is added to Bolton’s water supply amid fears it can cause cancer, osteoporosis, organ and genetic damage.