Reforms Not Improving Access To NHS Dentistry, Says Survey, UK

Reforms to NHS dentistry in April have not improved access for patients, according to a survey of dentists by the British Dental Association (BDA). Fifty-five per cent of those surveyed said that the new contractual arrangements did not allow them to see more patients. A further 23 per cent said they were seeing about the same number. And those surveyed were not optimistic that they'd be able to see more patients in the future. Sixty-two per cent said they didn't expect to be able to see more patients in the future, with a further 20 per cent unsure about how many patients they'd be able to see.


The BDA Omnibus Survey also reported significant concerns about problems with the substantial number of contracts signed in dispute. Almost half of those who participated in the survey had signed their contract in dispute. Of those contracts signed in dispute, more than half were yet to be resolved. Nine of the 47 per cent who reported their dispute had been resolved were unhappy with how that resolution had been achieved and said they might leave the NHS as a result.


Additionally, the survey found practitioners had reduced the amount of NHS work they did as a result of the new contract and that further decreases in the amount of NHS work were also likely in the future. According to the survey, 32 per cent of respondents performed 95 per cent or more of their work on the NHS prior to the implementation of the new contract. That figure had reduced to 25 per cent of those surveyed in the months after implementation. Furthermore, only 15 per cent believed they'd be carrying out that much NHS work by the middle of 2007, and only nine per cent thought they would be by mid-2009.


Lester Ellman, Chair of the BDA's General Dental Practice Committee, said:


"These figures paint a grim picture for the future of NHS dentistry. The new contract is failing to achieve its aim of making access to NHS dentistry easier for patients. The survey reflects anxiety and frustration among the dental profession and highlights the need for an urgent and thorough review of the impact that the government's reforms have had."


The BDA Omnibus Survey was carried out in July 2006. Questionnaires were distributed to 1,500 practitioners. Replies were received from 649.


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.


British Dental Association