British Dental Association Challenges Government's Record On NHS Dentistry

Main Category: Dentistry
Article Date: 05 May 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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The BDA believes that there are approximately 1,200 fewer dentists providing NHS services than there were before the new dental contract was implemented in April 2006.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, the BDA's chief executive, Peter Ward said he was very concerned about comments made by Tony Blair this morning at a breakfast briefing - Health and Ten years of Labour Government - that there were more NHS dentists under the new arrangements.

The BDA's Chief Executive called on the Prime Minister to create the conditions that would make NHS dentistry a viable option for dentists who wish to continue to provide NHS care.

The BDA's Chief Executive wrote to the Prime Minister (pdf):

"The BDA has repeatedly tried to explain how the perverse incentives of the new contract are working against the interests of patients, taxpayers and dentists. Despite our continuing exhortations to civil servants and Ministers there appears to be complete disinterest in re-examining the basic currency of the dental contract which is illogical, inconsistent and fundamentally unfit for purpose. Until those in control listen to patients and dentists, this situation will not be resolved."

The British Dental Association (BDA) is the professional association for dentists in the UK. It represents over 20,000 dentists working in general practice, in community and hospital settings, in academia and research, and in the armed forces.

According to the latest figures supplied by the NHS Information Centre, there were 20,887 dentists on a performers list in England. Link Here. As the pre- and post- contract figures are not strictly comparable, when adjustments are made to the pre-contract figures to take account of these differences, the figure is approximately 22,100. By contrast to the current statistics on the dental workforce, the pre-contract figures excluded vocational trainees, and dentists employed in salaried services. However, the pre-contract figures included data for England and Wales, whereas the current figures are for England only.

British Dental Association

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