Dentists criticise rise in NHS treatment charges

DENTISTS have strongly criticised the Welsh Government’s “above inflation” increases in NHS dental charges.

The British Dental Association (BDA) Wales says charges for basic check-ups in Wales, also known as band 1 treatments, will increase on April 1 from £13.50 to £14.

Costs for band 2 treatments, such as fillings, will go up by £1 from £43 to £44, while band 3 treatments like crowns, dentures and bridges will rise from £185 to £190.

Data from the last adult dental health survey revealed nearly 400,000 people in Wales have delayed or avoided dental treatment because of costs.

The BDA says it has consistently called on government across the UK to maintain the freeze on charge levels and asked for NHS dental treatment to be made genuinely affordable.

Katrina Clarke, chair of BDA Wales General Dental Practice Committee, said: “The Welsh Government has absolutely no justification for giving people on low incomes reasons to avoid seeing their NHS dentist.

“Charge hikes do not put a penny more into the system – they simply turn dentists into tax collectors and discourage the patients who most need our care.

“Dentists are not satisfied with policies that encourage people to miss out on effective early treatment.

“It’s a false economy that stores up problems for later and is already heaping needless pressure on our GP and A&E services.

“Wales must show it’s not going to follow the lead of England, where ministers use charge hikes to mask cuts in direct funding.”

The Welsh Government said that before the current charging system was introduced in 2006, the patient charging contribution to dental treatment represented approximately 80% of the cost to the NHS.

Since 2006, with only five “modest increases” in charges in 11 years, the Welsh Government said it has fallen to around 62% of the cost.

A Welsh Government spokeswoman said: “Currently 56% of Welsh adults are not required to pay for dental treatment in Wales. Where there are charges, they are significantly lower than in England.

“The charges in Wales have been increased by 2.5% spread across the bands, in line with the Retail Price Index. There was no increase in the charges last year. In agreeing the rise the Cabinet Secretary made a commitment that the additional income would go to securing and improving NHS dental services in Wales.”

NHS dental treatment remains free for all children and those under the age of 18, those under the age of 19 and receiving full-time education, pregnant women or those who have had a baby in the previous 12 months, and those on certain out-of-work means-tested benefits or tax credits.