Department Of Health Confirms Funding Boost
The Department of Health has confirmed a funding boost for NHS dental care; the DOH revealed plans to invest an extra £30 million in dental services yesterday.
Health minister, Lord Howe, confirmed that an extra £30 million will be spent to try and increase access to NHS dentistry and improve standards of oral health. Since 2010 more than a million new patients have seen an NHS dentist and the government is committed to continuing this trend and enabling more people to see a dentist on their doorstep.
Lord Howe said that the money will be used to enable dentists to treat more patients and to ensure that they are able to focus on patient care and provide the very highest standards of treatment.
Lord Howe said that oral health was a priority for the government and the additional funding reflects the direction health ministers want to talk in terms of NHS dental care.
Dr Nigel Carter OBE, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, welcomed the cash injection, especially as the government is under financial pressure and said that it will be used to improve services for patients. Dr Carter said that there have significant improvements in NHS dentistry over the last five years, but there is still more to do and this extra funding will make a difference.
Barry Cockcroft, chief dental officer for England said that the funding was great news and added that he hoped that thousands more people will pick up the phone to register with an NHS dentist in their local area.
Dental surgeries have been invited to apply to their local NHS trust for extra funding for extended opening hours and extra dental places; this is the second year additional funding has been made available and last year the measure made a very positive impact.
Join this Discussion