The £200m project to increase access to NHS dentistry is falling behind its target, according to a recent report by the National Audit Office. Published in February 2021, the dental recovery plan aimed to deliver 1.5 million additional appointments for the NHS by 2024-2025. To achieve this, dentists were offered an increase in payments for seeing NHS patients, while a top-up payment of up to £50 was made for taking on new patients. The project also planned to introduce mobile dental vans to improve access for people living in areas that struggle to access the service.
However, the National Audit Office report revealed that the project is not making enough progress, and it is unlikely to achieve its yearly goals. Although the general election was a factor, the new government must consider the long-lasting issues in NHS dentistry. The target of 1.5 million additional treatments would still place the NHS below the level of activity seen in 2018-19. Furthermore, dentists criticised the lack of ambition, arguing that the project would not encourage dentists to do more NHS work, with more than one-fifth thought to solely work on a private basis.
The project included a £5 increase to £28 for each unit of NHS activity, along with a £50 premium payment for patients who have not seen an NHS dentist for two years. While there has been an increase in the number of dental practices taking on new NHS patients, there has not been a corresponding increase in treatment levels. The NAO also pointed out that no new dental vans had been brought into operation yet, which were considered a key aspect of the solution to improving access in areas most in need.
Shawn Charlwood, of the British Dental Association, stated that the NAO report showed that significant reform of the NHS dental contract was required, and the recovery plan was “unworthy of the title”. Meanwhile, Louise Ansari, of Healthwatch England, agreed that NHS dentistry was in need of urgent reform, calling the report a “picture of delayed and confused efforts”. Health Minister Stephen Kinnock accepted that the government inherited an inadequate recovery plan and promised further measures to improve accessibility. Kinnock stated that the government was “committed to rebuilding dentistry, but it will take time”
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