Jul 8 2004
The Government must commit itself to three pledges if the current proposed changes to NHS dentistry are to succeed, according to a senior British Dental Association officer.
The stark warning, issued this week in a letter to general dentists across the UK, calls for pledges from Government on three crucial areas of concern: funding, workforce and the new contract.
The letter from Dr Lester Ellman, Chair of the BDA's General Dental Practice Committee, comes as expectations rise over the imminence of a major announcement from Government on NHS dentistry.
In the letter to the General Dental Practice Committee, Dr Ellman states the Government must:
Pledge to fund NHS dentistry properly and increase investment in NHS dentistry annually by seven per cent, in line with increases to the rest of NHS spending; and by ring-fencing the money for dentistry given to Primary Care Trusts to ensure it is spent on dental care for patients.
Pledge to publish the workforce review for England and increase the number of places at dental schools in England by 25 per cent to address the severe shortage of dentists.
Pledge to publish the new contract and take measures to ensure dentists genuinely get off the treadmill so they can spend more time with patients and practise preventive dentistry.
"Unless the Government puts its money where its mouth is and commits to proper investment in NHS dentistry, the changes to NHS dentistry will fail for both the profession and for patients," said Dr Ellman.
"When the Government announces its latest plans for NHS dentistry, we will be looking for these three pledges and will be satisfied by nothing less. Without these pledges, this whole reform process will have been a wasted opportunity and the queues of patients trying to get access to NHS dentistry will continue."