NHS could offer cash incentives to boost dentist numbers amid shortages in Northumberland
The NHS is considering offering cash incentives to dentists to relocate to Northumberland amid severe shortages in the county.
Two NHS contracts have been lost in Berwick recently and efforts to find new providers have proven unsuccessful. There are already significant waiting lists in the area due to pandemic backlogs and an increased demand for appointments since 2021. Dental practices are running normally but the demand is far outweighing the supply, NHS representatives explained.
At a recent meeting of Northumberland County Council’s health and wellbeing overview and scrutiny committee, dental commissioning lead for the North East and Cumbria, Pauline Fletcher confirmed that it was proving very difficult to find replacement providers. The intention is still to replace the lost contracts but this may require the use of incentives designed to boost recruitment.
Northumberland has been identified as a priority area. The NHS could offer cash incentives to encourage dentists to relocate and there are also plans to offer additional support for dentists who wish to move to the UK from abroad.
Mrs Fletcher said that the target to find new providers was April 2024 and admitted that it is very unlikely that new clinics would be up and running before then due to recruitment difficulties.
Most parts of the UK are experiencing similar issues with finding NHS dentists but it is particularly challenging to recruit dentists in remote areas like Northumberland.
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