A Critique of PHE's (OHID's) Return on Investment (RoI)

FFAUK's Paper on PHE's Return on Investment (RoI) for WF programmes and how investment in WF is completely wasted, is linked below. This is for the benefit of everyone who believes that WF is a less expensive and more effective oral health intervention than individual oral health hygiene.  We hope that, having read the critique, they will voluntarily decide to clamber into the naughty seat!

It is somewhat scandalous that to prove a point, the baseline for the calculations were manipulated by proponents of WF in order to convince Durham County Council, Sunderland City Council and Northumberland County Council in 2019 that WF was much the best option.  Councillors do not have the time to read all the available information on WF and they depend on the knowledge of their Public Health Consultants in Oral Health, as was the case in 2019 when the issue was "explored" by the Health and Well-Being Committees of Durham County Council, Northumberland County Council and Sunderland City Council.

We were present at all three meetings in public and were able to present our case.  We painstakingly explained the failings of the RoI but it was a case of the Committees deferring to the knowledge of their paid employees who were deemed to be the experts, despite the overwhelming evidence proffered by WF opponents.  Fortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic put a stop to any decisions because the PHE Consultants and staff throughout the UK were seconded in early 2020 to more pressing issues relating to Covid-19.

No attempt has been made since early 2020 to pick up the exploration of WF in Durham, Northumberland and Sunderland.  However, the Public Health Consultants in Oral Health for Sheffield, Luton and Northumberland "went to the papers" during 2021/22, highlighting the awful state of kids' teeth in their areas.  No doubt they will trot out the RoI as justification for their support of WF.  So, here, to set the record straight and pre-empt any attempt by the DHSC to propose Sheffield, Luton and Northumberland for WF Public Consultations, is our critique of the RoI.