Norfolk dentist says many who used to work for the NHS "aren't coming back"
A study from Healthwatch Norfolk shows that no NHS dental surgeries in county are accepting patients for the second year running
A man who represents dentists in Norfolk says many who used to work in the NHS are "not coming back" because long-standing changes to dental care haven't been made.
Local practitioners tell us the next Government must significantly increase their annual budget - of nearly £3 billion - and reform the dental contract, so that it pays more.
"The phonelines open at 8am and our appointment slots are gone by 8.10am"
Andy Bell works as a dentist in Gorleston: "Last year about half a billion pounds was unspent, which means that people are not getting into dentists to use that budget, as the activity is just not high enough.
"The capacity is not there and neither is the workforce, so we need a lot of ambition.
"We know that the current dental contract is just not fit for purpose. It's been highlighted by two health select committees, (one in 2008 and one in 2023). We need to move away from the current system of Units of Dental Activity, which we know are good only for measuring activity and setting a budget.
"The phonelines open at 8am and our appointment slots are gone by 8.10am. We don't have many cancellations nowadays, so when we say to somebody that we'll phone them back if something becomes available, that rarely happens."
A glance at the current state of dentistry in the UK:
-A study in the spring from patient group Healthwatch Norfolk shows that no NHS dental surgeries in county are accepting patient for the second year running.
According to research from The House of Commons Library shows that:
-Real-terms funding for dental services has fallen by 19% between 2010/11 and 2022/23 prices.
Official figures show that the UK annual budget for dentistry stood at £3.56 billion in 2010/11. With it dropping to £2.90 billion in 2022/23.
-The number of dentists per 100,000 population was 42.3 in 2022/23, in 2012/13 it was 43.4.
The NHS Dental Contract:
To provide NHS dental services, providers must hold a contract with the NHS.
There are different types of dental services that a contract can cover:
• Mandatory services are typical services such as checkups and fillings.
• Additional services include advanced mandatory dental services, such as surgical dentistry, sedation, and orthodontic services.
• Dental public health services and further services, such as outreach activity
Dentistry contracts are not based on the number of NHS patients that a dentist sees, but the amount of dental activity performed. This is measured in units of dental activity (UDAs). Under the current NHS dental contract, the provider agrees to deliver a set number of UDAs from April until the following March.