Plans to change dentists’ pay structure under review

Health ministers are set to announce plans to change the way dentists are paid, in a shake-up that could see a return to the old system of pay that is related to the number of patients on a dentist’s list.

Income was traditionally linked to patient numbers until 2006; however, the government changed the pay structure to an entirely performance-based system. The announcements lead to a mass walk-out with over one thousand dentists leaving the NHS within 24 hours of the new system being introduced and many more following over the course of subsequent months. The new system introduced a price banding system that meant dentists lost out financially; in addition, waiting lists increased as people struggled to find dentists that carried out NHS work in their area.

The new pay system will be trialled for a period of two years across 25 different local health trusts; up to half of dentists’ incomes will depend upon the number of patients they have registered to their practice. The recommendations for change have been welcomed by Professor Jimmy Steele from Newcastle University, who has been working on ways to improve the efficacy and efficiency of health service dentistry.

It is hoped that a new pay system will encourage dentists to do more NHS work and accept more NHS patients; this will enable patients to access care without having to travel long distances or wait for long periods of time for treatment. Widespread access to dental care is a long-term target for the government, but attempts in the past have failed up to now.

The new pilot schemes will begin in May and last for two years. As well as ensuring access to NHS dental care, the new programmes will also focus on improving standards of dental care; dentists may now be punished for substandard care, as they may have to pay for treatments that have to be done again as a result of negligence or poor practice out of their own pockets. 

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