‘This is how dentistry on NHS will die’
THOUSANDS of high street dentists in England are severing ties with the NHS, which could leave millions of patients “with no options”, leading dentists have warned.
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Access to NHS dentists is one of the main worries for patients, with many unable to get appointments or being forced to wait months for care.
The BDA said that since March 2020, some 3,000 dentists are understood to have moved away from NHS work entirely.
Most dentists provide a mixture of NHS and private dental care, but new figures suggest the balance could shift in favour of more private provision.
A new poll of 2,200 high street dentists in England found that 45% have reduced their NHS commitment since the start of the pandemic.
The figures also showes that 75% are likely to reduce, or further reduce, their NHS commitment in the next year.
Almost two thirds (65%) have said their practice has unfilled vacancies for dentists, according to the BDA poll.
The professional body is calling for “radical and urgent” action from the Government to help struggling dentists.
It said the NHS dental contract, initiated in 2006, puts “targets ahead of patient need, effectively setting a limit on the numbers of NHS treatments a dentist can do in a year”.
The BDA’s Shawn Charlwood said: “Overstretched and underfunded, thousands of dentists have already left the NHS.
“This is how NHS dentistry will die, a lingering decline that unchecked will leave millions of patients with no options.
“This Government has ensured many dentists cannot see a future in this service.”
MPs on the Health and Social Care Committee are to examine issues in the sector at a meeting today.