The new NHS Dental Recovery plan
On 7th February, the NHS and the Government published a plan to improve NHS dentistry services. The main aims are expansion of dental workforce, as well as on prevention and good oral health in young children.
Key information from the plan:
- NHS dentists will be given a ‘new patient’ payment of between £15-£50 (depending on treatment need) to treat roughly millions of patients who have not seen an NHS dentist in more than 2 years.
- People will be able to see which practices in their local area are accepting new patients on the NHS website and the NHS App. There will also be a government campaign to encourage anyone who has not visited the dentist in the past 2 years.
- A new ‘Smile For Life’ programme will be introduced. This will offer parents and parents-to-be advice about baby gums and milk teeth, with the long-term aim that by the time children go to school, every child will see tooth brushing as a normal part of their day.
- Dental vans will help deliver dental treatment to people in rural and coastal areas.
The dentistry recovery plan is a good start in addressing these serious problems. To widen access to NHS dentistry to those experiencing the greatest health inequalities, it’s vital dentists take up the new premium payments, promote availability of appointments to new patients and prioritise slots to people most in need.
However, in the long run more radical solutions are needed to get NHS dentistry back on track. We welcome the Government’s to commitment to consulting with the profession on the contract and urge this to happen as soon as possible.
We know that people will generally welcome the plan, but ultimately, they would like to be able to register with a local NHS dentist in the same way as they can with a local GP, developing a trusted relationship with a dentist who can prevent poor oral health and treat any new problems or emergencies.
