FGDP rejects CQC fee rise

The new fees will increase costs for single-location and domiciliary dental care providers by £69-£149, depending on the number of dental chairs, with fees for multiple-location providers rising by the same proportions.

While the Faculty supports the move to end the current cross-subsidy by dentists of other professions, it says it cannot understand how the regulator has arrived at its new cost estimates for inspecting dental surgeries given that dental providers have proved the lowest-risk sector it inspects.

Responding to the announcement, Ian Mills, the Faculty’s Dean, said: 'The Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) supports the maintenance and improvement of standards of care in dental practices, and recognises the contribution which the Care Quality Commission has made in helping to deliver this. In view of the highly positive reports the Commission has delivered on the dental sector in recent years, dentists will find a further increase in fees this year particularly bewildering and unwelcome.