Investigation Reveals £70 Million Paid in False Dental Claims
An official investigation has revealed that a total of more than £70 million has been falsely claimed by NHS dentists.
An inquiry by the NHS anti-crime watchdog has revealed that dentists submitted more than one million false claims over the course of one year as a result of potential loopholes in the current dental contract.
It is also believed that a further £150 million may be falsely claimed before the new dental contract is introduced and ministers have used the investigation findings to further support the case for a new contract. They claimed that the old contract allows a minority of dentists to abuse the system.
The current contract was introduced by Labour in 2006. At the time the aim was to improve access to NHS services, however, the contract has attracted criticism since it was first brought in and officials from the anti-crime department feel that the banding system has made it easier for dentists to submit false claims, which are for treatments in a higher band that those actually carried out.
The investigation, which was conducted by NHS Protect, unearthed worrying figures, which have been labelled “appalling” by ministers. Between 2009 and 2010, almost £75 million was paid for treatments and procedures that were not carried out.
Lord Howe, the Conservative health minister, attributed the blame to Labour and said that dental services had been mismanaged for several years. He added that taxpayers would understandably be angered by the findings of the investigation, as the money they put in should be spent on patient care.
Lord Howe is currently working on a new dental contract, which promises to simplify the payment system and improve patient care.
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