Health Minister Jeremy Miles MS said the Welsh Government will launch a consultation on dentistry reforms, which will mark a significant change to the old 2006 contract, by the end of this month. Describing the reforms as the “biggest in nearly 20 years”, he then said the central aim will be to make it “easier” to access NHS dentistry.
We are pleased that opposition parties were on hand to spell out the facts. Last month we accused the Welsh Government of spin, half-truths and doublespeak on the future of dental services, and there was no shortage of the three.
Negotiations between ministers, the NHS and the BDA had been ongoing for over a year, but arbitrary deadlines have cut dialogue short, and left the profession in the dark.
Mr Miles told Senedd members key aspects of the reforms include:
- Creating a single route of entry for people to access NHS services
- Implementing a ‘fairer, more transparent’ remuneration system
- Disincentivising unnecessary routine examinations
- Adjusting patient charges
- Making changes to terms and conditions, such as around parental leave.
He said “as is the case in all negotiations, there are aspects that all parties can readily agree on; there are some points that may be more contentious. Not everyone gets everything that they want but it is an improvement for everyone.”
James Evans, the Conservatives’ shadow health secretary, told the Senedd that we had warned 2025 could see the largest number of contracts handed back in history, with more dentists reducing NHS commitments due to financial pressures.
Mr Evans compared a 6% contract uplift, which we described as a real-terms cut following the “flawed” negotiations, with an 11% increase for GPs. “NHS dentistry is in crisis,” he said. “Patients are paying more while receiving less. Dentists are leaving in record numbers and practices are struggling to stay afloat.”
Plaid’d Mabon ap Gwynfor MS raised our warning of a dental desert spreading across the country, with a rise in so-called DIY dentistry and an increasingly disaffected workforce.
He accused the Welsh Government of ploughing ahead on a road to ruin and turning a blind eye to a rapidly unfolding crisis in the sector.
Warning dentists have been kept in the dark since September, Mr ap Gwynfor said: “On the one hand, this government says that it is unlocking hundreds of thousands of extra appointments but the BDA accuses them of cooking the books.”
NHS dentistry in Wales is at a crossroads. We will keep members up to date on all the next steps.