NHS dental contract changes come into force
Changes to the NHS dental contract came into force this week (28th November).
The government has introduced a series of measures to improve access to NHS dental services and increase payments for NHS dentists who take on complex work.
From November, all NHS dentists will receive more money for providing complex care to try to ensure that patients who need treatment the most get help as quickly as possible. Under new guidelines, dentists will now be paid more in recognition of the time it takes to carry out more complicated courses of treatment.
Previously, dentists received the same amount of money for all treatments within band 2 regardless of the amount of work required. This means that a dentist would earn the same fee if they placed one, two or three fillings. Now, dentists will be paid more for complex cases and patients with extensive needs. The changes are designed to help patients to get the treatment they need while supporting dentists so that they can afford to take on patients who require more expansive treatment.
NHS dentists will now be paid for five units of dental activity (UDA) for treating three or more teeth, rather than three UDAs. The rate for root canal treatment on molars has also increased from three UDAs to seven UDAs.
The contract changes also require NHS dental practices to update information regularly via the ‘Find a Dentist’ tool online to help patients to access NHS places.
Neil O’Brien, health minister, said, “I am determined to make sure everybody seeking NHS dental care can receive it when they need it. Our new contract rewards dentists more fairly for taking on high needs patients and delivering treatment for those who need it most.” He added, “It will not solve problems overnight, but it will help improve access and ensure the system supports dentists and their teams.”
In addition, the government is also working with the General Dental Council to adjust legislation surrounding overseas recruitment to enable more dentists from abroad to work for the NHS.
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