The British Dental Association (BDA) in Northern Ireland has called for a full public apology after it emerged that dentists health service incomes were vastly exaggerated in figures released following a freedom of information request. The figures as reported by the Belfast Telegraph on 11 Dec 09, were wrong in six out of 20 cases, and overstated dental practice turnovers on the health service by up to 73 per cent.
The BDA has written to the Business Services Organisation (BSO), the body responsible for the release of the incorrect figures, demanding that an apology is made to all the dental practices involved. The release of this incorrect information has damaged the reputation of these dentists and their practices.
Claudette Christie, BDA Director for Northern Ireland, said:
“This has caused personal distress directly to a number of hardworking dentists and to the wider profession. The BSO must acknowledge its error with a public apology and retract the incorrect figures. Dentists across Northern Ireland are at the heart of their communities, working hard to care for their patients. They devote their professional lives to building relationships with their patients that enable them to provide the best possible standards of care for each individual. To have those relationships swept away by the failure of a government agency to quality assure its figures is devastating.”
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Notes to editors:
The British Dental Association (BDA) is the professional association for dentists in the UK. It represents over 23,000 dentists working in general practice, in community and hospital settings, in academia and research, and in the armed forces.
For further information, please contact the BDA press office on 020 7563 4145/6.
