Dentist Angered By Plans To Slash NHS Dental Treatment In Northern Ireland
Dentists in Northern Ireland are angered after plans were revealed to slash NHS dental treatment.
Plans to restrict the range of treatments available on the NHS in Northern Ireland have emerged, but dentists have warned that the measures would set the country back in terms of dental care and “drag health services back 50 years.” The proposals are subject to public consultation, which will take run until early April.
Dentists believe that the proposals “make a mockery” of government plans to make improvements to standards of oral health in Northern Ireland, which are the lowest in the UK. Health officials argue that the cuts must be made because more funding is not available and treatment should therefore be available based on clinical need.
According to budget forecasts, the cost of dental care will rise by £12 million this year and this is why health bosses are looking to bring in restrictions to NHS dental care. The proposals suggest that dentists will need to seek approval from the Business Services Organisation before carrying out certain procedures, including root canal treatment on the molars. The provision of orthodontic treatment will also be affected with bosses eager to introduce a system which provides funding for cases which would benefit from intervention, rather than blanket funding for anyone who could potentially benefit from braces.
Health Minister Edwin Poots said that he would like to “reassure the public that all treatments will still be available to patients with they are clinically appropriate.”
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