Dentists are returning to NHS, govt claims

Tuesday, 7 August 2007 12:00 AM

The government claims dental services are improving, with more patients able to access an NHS dentist.

The chief dental officer today published a report outlining how dental services have been improved since the government first pledged to reform the sector last year.

However, his positive claims have been strongly contested by opposition MPs and consumer groups, who claim many patients are still unable to register with a NHS dentist.

The Department of Health (DoH) claimed services now available in areas where patients previously had no access to NHS dental services.

The chief dental officer attributed these improvements to reforms implanted by the DoH 12 months ago.

Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) have been given extended powers to commission dental services. According to the department, PCTs have now commissioned more services than were delivered under the final year of the old system.

The DoH has also attempted to address concerns dentists were profiteering, either by charging patients for elaborate procedures or refusing to work in the health service.

The old fee-per-item system has been replaced with a new contract to give dentists a stable yearly income in return for an agreed level of patient care.

Health minister Ann Keen said: "One year on, we have a system that provides a more secure basis for developing future dental services.

"The local NHS now has, for the first time, both a statutory duty to provide dental services and the flexibility needed to develop services that fit local needs.

"In many areas, patients are already seeing the results of this in new or developed services."

The Liberal Democrats dismissed the report as "Orwellian" in its interpretation of the facts and pointed to ongoing shortcomings in dental services.

Lib Dem health spokesman Norman Lamb said there was a "mountain of evidence" the new contract is not improving the situation, with many parts of the country still lacking a NHS dentist.

Mr Lamb said: "It is a total whitewash and will be of little comfort to patients who cannot find a local NHS dentist and is an insult to the many dentists who are forced to turn away patients because of the new contract."

The Liberal Democrats are calling for an independent review to measure improvements to dental services.

Consumer rights group Which? confirmed a postcode lottery is still in place. Its research found 13 per cent of NHS practices in the north-west are taking on new patients, compared to 59 per cent in London.

Which? health campaigner Frances Blunden said: "This report may not offer the comfort the DoH thinks it should for people who still cannot find an NHS dentist"

The group, which has campaigned for better access to NHS dentists, said the DoH must ensure all PCTs have sufficient funds and are using these resources to meet local need.

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