British Dental Association calls for urgent action as poll reveals 60% of dentists in Northern Ireland plan to reduce health service commitments
The British Dental Association (BDA) has called for urgent action after a recent poll revealed that almost 60% of practice owners in Northern Ireland are planning to reduce health service commitments in the next year.
A survey of members of the BDA in Northern Ireland suggested that 59% of practice owners and 62% of dental associates plan to scale back their health service work in the next twelve months. In addition, 39% of members said they were considering retiring or changing career in the next year. Over 80% of dentists polled reported having low morale.
Chair of the BDA’s NI Dental Practice Committee, Richard Graham, said that the results of the survey highlight the importance of prioritising dental care in the next manifesto, with elections likely to be held in the coming months.
Mr Graham said that dentistry “must be on every party’s agenda” and added that “a service long teetering is now broken.” The BDA has urged ministers across all parties to consider the future of dentistry, with Mr Graham suggesting that a “full rebuild” is required.
Recent statistics confirmed that just 40% of patients were seen by a dentist in Northern Ireland last year compared with figures from the previous year. The pandemic has made it increasingly difficult for dentists to see patients with restrictions in place and practices closed at the beginning of the outbreak. Now, backlogs are growing, more dentists are prioritising private work and patients are waiting longer for treatment.
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