In a short message, sent to regional teams this evening, NHS England state: “Confirmation of the 2021/22 year end reconciliation guidance and contractual performance requirements for 2022/23 are being finalised and we will share with commissioners and the profession as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience, and thank you for your continuing work.”
Officials have been signalling intentions to return to 100% of pre-COVID activity for some time. We have continued to press for a reality check, given the huge challenges practices have and continue to face in this quarter.
COVID infection rates are at near record highs, and we understand thousands of practices are on track to fall short of the Quarter 4 target of 85%.
GDPC Chair Shawn Charlwood has highlighted the absurdity of the situation: “NHS dentists will head to work in the morning – the first day of the financial year - with no sense of what’s expected of them. We’ve been demanding clarity for months, so these delays are frankly unacceptable."
“At the bare minimum practices need the ability to plan", Shawn added. "Instead of answers, all colleagues have been offered is a holding message.”
We will keep you updated.