Dental Reforms Come Under More Pressure

Thu, 30 Aug 2007

Recent figures from the NHS have provided further evidence of the growing problems facing the Government’s dental reforms, according to the British Dental Association (BDA) .

The figures, which were published last week, revealed that patient charge revenue only generated £475 million instead of the expected £634 million, resulting in a shortfall of £159 million in the dental budget .

One year after the introduction of the new contract in England, some primary care trusts (PCTs) are still finding it difficult to fund dental treatments as the patient charge shortfall equals just over £1million per PCT, the new statistics found.

The new contract states that PCTs are responsible for commissioning NHS dental services .

However, the BDA is concerned with the fact that around a quarter of the dental budgets held by the PCTs rely on revenue from patients’ charges.

Peter Ward, the BDA’s Chief Executive, said: "Today’s figures underline serious flaws in the government’s new system for providing NHS dentistry ."

"We’re concerned that dental patients will lose out as PCTs face this further squeeze on their budgets. We believe that PCTs should receive their dental budgets in full to end this precarious situation."

"This all adds to continuing, and unacceptable, uncertainty for NHS dentistry," he concluded.
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