Data precedes reforms – which are working
The Scottish Government says that since last September it has introduced “significant dental payment reform” with the aim of encouraging dentists to provide more NHS dentistry, and that in the first month following these changes, nearly 400,000 patients were seen by an NHS primary care dentist.
The figures, from Public Health Scotland, show almost a quarter (24.3 per cent) of those registered have not seen an NHS dentist for five years, amounting to around 1.25 million people.
The Scottish Government says that the data precedes the introduction of NHS dental reform from November 1 2023 and cannot be taken as indicative of participation in the current environment.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “There are a number of reasons why people who are registered with an NHS dentist might choose not to attend, but we strongly advise anyone who has not seen their dentist for over a year to do so.
“We remain committed to improving access to NHS dentistry in Scotland, following the significant interruption posed by the pandemic and – since this snapshot as of 30 September 2023 – have introduced significant dental payment reform with the aim of encouraging dentists to provide more NHS dentistry.
“In the first month following these changes, nearly 400,000 patients were seen by an NHS primary care dentist – early vindication that our reforms are working.
“As well as improving conditions for existing workforce through reform, we also continue to work with our counterparts across the UK and devolved governments to expedite process and bolster the number of dental practitioners working in Scotland now and into the future.”