“British Dental Association Calls for Higher NHS Dental Payments”
The British Dental Association has expressed that raising the activity rate from £28 to £35 in England would only be sufficient to halt the exodus of dentists to the private sector temporarily. They cautioned that the government’s plans outlined in February did not address the issue comprehensively. However, government officials defended the reforms, stating that they were also working on a broader overhaul of the entire dental contract.
British Dental
Ministers highlighted the measures introduced in the British Dental reform plan, including increased payments, premium rates for new patients, and a £20,000 incentive for dentists to work in underserved areas. Despite these efforts, a BBC investigation in 2022 revealed that nine out of ten NHS dental practices in the UK were not accepting new adult patients for NHS treatment. This shortage led to individuals traveling long distances for dental care, resorting to self-extraction of teeth, or improvising their own dentures.
Although NHS dental treatments have seen a slight increase since the pandemic, they remain below pre-pandemic levels. British Dental practices are compensated based on a unit of dental activity (UDA) rate, with basic check-ups counting as one UDA and more complex procedures counting as multiple UDAs.
During testimony to the House of Commons’ Health Committee, BDA leader Shawn Charlwood emphasized the need for higher payments, stating that recruiting at the current low UDA rate is unsustainable. The BDA clarified that any increase in payments would primarily go towards boosting the wages of staff, including dentists, nurses, and therapists, rather than increasing profits for practice owners.
While acknowledging that raising the rate would have a significant impact, Mr. Charlwood stressed that it should only be considered an interim solution until a comprehensive overhaul of the dental contract is implemented.
