Dental contracts 'cut NHS access'

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Changes to the way NHS dentists work, introduced in April, have not improved access for patients, a report by the profession has warned.

A survey of 650 dentists by the British Dental Association found 78% had not been seeing any more patients since the new contracts came in.

The number who said 95% of their work was for the NHS fell from a third prior to the change to a quarter afterwards.

The government said the survey painted "a distorted picture".

These figures paint a grim picture for the future of NHS dentistry Lester EllmanBritish Dental Association

The BDA Omnibus Survey found 62% of dentists did not expect to be able to see more patients in the future, and a further 20% were unsure about how many patients they would be able to see.

The contracts have been at the centre of a dispute between the dental profession and the government since they were first mooted.

The reforms were introduced in a bid to improve access to services as one-tenth of dental practices had closed their lists to new NHS patients, leaving 2m unable to register with a dentist.

But, when they came in last April, around 2,000 dentists walked away from the NHS after not signing the new contract, leaving up to 1m patients without dentists.

'More NHS dentistry'

The survey found that half of the dentists who took part signed their contract in dispute over its contents.

It also showed 32% had performed 95% or more of their work on the NHS prior to the implementation of the new contract.

This latest survey of dentists paints a distorted picture Rose Winterton, health minister

But the percentage was reduced to 25% in the months after implementation.

And only 15% believed they would be carrying out that much NHS work by the middle of 2007, with just 9% predicting they would be by mid-2009.

Lester Ellman, chairman of the BDA's General Dental Practice Committee, said: "These figures paint a grim picture for the future of NHS dentistry.

"The new contract is failing to achieve its aim of making access to NHS dentistry easier for patients.

"The survey reflects anxiety and frustration among the dental profession and highlights the need for an urgent and thorough review of the impact that the government's reforms have had."

But Health Minister Rosie Winterton said NHS dentistry was expanding and primary care trusts were commissioning more work than last year.

"This latest survey of dentists paints a distorted picture," she said.

"The reality is that NHS dentistry is expanding - PCTs are now commissioning more dental services than under the old contract.

"There has been no shortage of dentists willing to expand their NHS work or establish new practices."

'Mockery'

Shadow Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, said of the BDA report: "This is desperate news for NHS dentistry and for patients in need of dental services.

"Recent contractual changes fail to support a relationship between individuals and their dentist, or good oral health, by limiting the number of patients a dentist can treat.

"It is time for the government to think again."

Liberal Democrat health spokeswoman Sandra Gidley said: "This survey makes a mockery out of the government's claims that their reforms would improve access to NHS dentistry.

"The government seems hell-bent on driving through reforms without regard to their impact on patients or professions, resulting in the current mess."