Dentists gathered at Westminster today to call for the Government to provide adequate funding for a comprehensive NHS dental service available to all citizens. A group of 1,300 dentists signed an open letter urging for reforms, highlighting that the current £3 billion allocated for dentistry in England falls short, leaving only half of the population able to access dental care when needed.
The British Dental Association (BDA) has joined forces with the Mirror for the Dentists for All initiative, criticizing the longstanding “flawed” NHS dental contract. According to the BDA, the government’s attempts to address the issues with the contract, such as permitting more overseas-trained dentists to work in the NHS, are insufficient to resolve the underlying problems pushing dentists to shift to private practice.
BDA chair Eddie Crouch emphasized the urgent need for fundamental reform and increased funding for NHS dentistry, highlighting the disparity in funding between England and other UK nations. Despite stagnant funding levels at around £3 billion since 2010, the BDA estimates that, accounting for inflation and population growth, there has been a real-terms budget reduction of over a third.
The dentists’ open letter, titled ‘An Unhappy Birthday,’ directed at Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Health Secretary Wes Streeting, underscores the persistent shortcomings of the current dental contract over the past two decades. The letter emphasizes that any reform efforts must be accompanied by sustainable funding to address the critical issues within the system.
A recent YouGov poll commissioned by the BDA revealed widespread public support for increased funding for NHS dentistry, with a majority across different political affiliations advocating for greater investment in dental services. The survey also highlighted the repercussions of past austerity measures, indicating a decline in patient satisfaction with NHS dentistry despite overall improvements in satisfaction with the NHS as a whole.
In response to the concerns raised, a spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged ongoing efforts to revamp NHS dentistry, citing recent reforms to the dental contract aimed at enhancing patient care and supporting dental professionals. The government is committed to collaborating with stakeholders, including the British Dental Association, to implement long-term reforms for sustainable and improved dental services.
