A BDA website blog written by Dr Susie Sanderson, Chair of the British Dental Association’s Executive (BDA’s) Board, states that ‘this could be the worst time in living memory to be a general dental practitioner in England’.
Dr Sanderson argues that dentist’s jobs are made more and more difficult and cause low morale because of a combination of factors, such as an excessive system of regulation, ongoing existence of the flawed 2006 dental contract, threats to NHS pensions, and the government’s intention of barring new entrants to the seniority pay scheme.
However, she reasons that in spite of these problems, dentists still have grounds to be optimistic to look forward to a potentially better future if the contract that will emerge from the pilots launched last month will be improved, and because of the potential for more consistent commissioning as a result of the transfer of commissioning responsibilities from Primary Care Trusts to a National Commissioning Board.
The blog also writes about patient satisfaction and professional standards.
Sanderson argues that after all it is the patients who provide dentists with work, and their continued high value of the care they receive has been documented in the feedback dentists receive in their practices and the findings of the recent Adult Dental Health Survey.
She concludes by saying that high professional standards are essential for keeping patients’ trust and that as professionals, it is the responsibility of the dentists to maintain this status of trust their patients’ place on them.
She warns that dentists should not allow a compromise of the care they provide because of obstacles or resentments.
Written by Petra Rattue