MP Challenges Minister on Dentist Shortages and the New Dental Contract

1.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 6th Jul 2004

Speaking today in Questions to the Secretary of State for Health Annette Brooke MP asked John Reid MP to make a statement on the progress in implementing the new contract for NHS dentists.

Following up this question, the MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole asked:

What guarantee can the Minister give that the new proposals will improve access to NHS dentists (an enormous issue with my constituents)? Given the latest research from the British Dental Association which found that nearly 60% high street dentists will either reduce their commitment or quit the NHS altogether, I seek reassurances from him.

From April 2005, the most sweeping changes to NHS dentistry in England in the last 50 years will come into effect, a move to local commissioning of dental services at the PCT level, and a move away from item-of-service dental payments to regular monthly payments to dentists.

The British Dental Association has confirmed that even with new contracts being worked out between dentists and Primary Care Trusts, most dentists will not increase their NHS workload. The change to working practices is causing huge uncertainty within the profession, with a recent consultation by the BDA finding that just one in five dentists thought that the Government had listened to their concerns.

Just two per cent of high street dentists said that they would increase their NHS work on the back of the Government's proposals, while a shocking 16 per cent said that they would stop providing NHS dentistry altogether.

Annette Brooke has energetically pursued the matter of improving access to NHS dentists in her constituency of Mid Dorset and North Poole since 2001, and welcomes this opportunity to raise her concerns face to face with the Minister. Annette Brooke's persistence and determination not to let this issue fall off the local agenda has been recognised by the Department of Health.