BDA Urges Dentists to Resist PCT Bullying
The British Dental Association has urged dentists to resist bullying from Primary Care Trusts.
Speaking at the 2012 Conference of Local Dental Committees, Dr Milne, chairman of the BDA and the General Dental Practice Committee, said that he was “appalled” that some PCT commissioning dental staff were proposing changes to the current treatment plans, which he described as “perfectly acceptable”, to save money. Dr Milne said that dentists were being threatened with referral to the General Dental Council if they failed to adjust treatment plans.
Dr Milne also urged dentists to report the case to the BDA in the event that they feel they are being threatened. The BDA chair also insisted that it was imperative that all dentists complied with professional and ethical guidelines and warned that a small number of dentists that are making false claims are potentially ruining everything for the majority of dentists, who are honest and extremely good at their jobs.
Dr Milne said that he had been made aware of bullying tactics used by commissioning staff at Primary Care Trusts to try and encourage dentists to save money. He described the approach as “unfair, unhelpful and unacceptable” and urged dentists to make a stand against aggressive tactics.
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