Bognor Dental Practice Joins NHS Pilot Scheme
Oasis Dental Care in Bognor has joined the NHS pilot scheme to identify new ways of paying NHS dentists.
The practice is one of 90 surgeries in the UK participating in the trial, which aims to identify issues with the current contract and find new, more effective and efficient measures. One of the most pressing issues is the way in which dentists are currently paid. Dentists are paid according to the number of courses of treatment they provide but critics of the 2006 dental contract, which was introduced by the Labour Government, claim that this has contributed to a ‘drill and fill culture’. The pilot scheme is being used to assess other methods, such as paying dentists according to the number of patients they treat and the outcome of treatment.
The pilot programme is also testing new ways of treating patients, with a shift towards preventative dental care and emphasis on oral hygiene and positive lifestyle choices.
The findings of the pilot studies will be used to mould the new dental contract, which is currently under construction. Ministers are liaising with dental experts to try and produce a more effective contract, which benefits both patients and dentists.
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