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Top NHS dentists paid five times the Prime Minister’s salary Top NHS dentists paid five times the Prime Minister’s salary
(35 minutes later)
The pay of the top five NHS dentists has been revealed to be nearly five times the Prime Minister's £142,000 pay packet.The pay of the top five NHS dentists has been revealed to be nearly five times the Prime Minister's £142,000 pay packet.
The NHS Business Services Authority has disclosed that the pensionable pay of the top five NHS dentists averaged out at £690,000 a year (£3.4 million between them).The NHS Business Services Authority has disclosed that the pensionable pay of the top five NHS dentists averaged out at £690,000 a year (£3.4 million between them).
This is nearly five time the Prime Minister’s salary of £142,000.This is nearly five time the Prime Minister’s salary of £142,000.
Read more: The rise of DIY dentistry Doctors sign letter accusing Government of 'withering away' NHS Katherine Murphy, of the Patients Association, suggested that the rates of pay were obscene. Katherine Murphy, of the Patients Association, suggested that the rates of pay were obscene.
“Investment is urgently needed on the front line where there is a desperate shortage of nurses [and] patients waiting for hours in A&E … when the NHS is under such huge financial pressure, this type of spending on huge salaries is unacceptable,” she said.“Investment is urgently needed on the front line where there is a desperate shortage of nurses [and] patients waiting for hours in A&E … when the NHS is under such huge financial pressure, this type of spending on huge salaries is unacceptable,” she said.
It takes around seven years to qualify as a dentist In addition to the top five, 11 more dentists’ salaries fell in the £400,000 and £500,000 bracket, and over 150 earned more than £200,000, according to The Daily Mail.It takes around seven years to qualify as a dentist In addition to the top five, 11 more dentists’ salaries fell in the £400,000 and £500,000 bracket, and over 150 earned more than £200,000, according to The Daily Mail.
It has been suggested that these high salaries could be a product of practitioner contracts  introduced back in 2006, which give dentists a fixed sum for a set amount of work agreed at the start of the year, as opposed to charging for the amount of work done or patients seen.It has been suggested that these high salaries could be a product of practitioner contracts  introduced back in 2006, which give dentists a fixed sum for a set amount of work agreed at the start of the year, as opposed to charging for the amount of work done or patients seen.
A high earning dentist can run more than one practice, in which case they would would of course be able to reap the benefits of each contract.A high earning dentist can run more than one practice, in which case they would would of course be able to reap the benefits of each contract.