Fears for future of Health Service dentistry as Department of Health offer 'unviable'

A new Rebuilding Support Scheme will see a 25 per cent enhancement apply to dental fees, as the Financial Support Scheme to mitigate the impact of covid on dental practices is wound up from April. The British Dental Association (BDA) says what has been imposed represents a downgraded offer from a 35 per cent increase that had previously been put forward, owing to budget uncertainties. It also compares less favourably with an initial 70 per cent enhancement that has been introduced in Scotland.

Following the toughest two years in dental history, the BDA has said hopes that the extra costs in dental practice had been grasped by the minister and his officials, and that an expected enhancement would enable practices under financial pressure to start to rebuild the service, have been left completely shattered. Instead, practitioners have been left deeply disappointed by the Department of Health's decision, and worried for the future of the service, particularly those practitioners who are most NHS committed.