The British Dental Association (BDA) has criticised the Government's decision not to apply this year's contract uplift to quality improvement activity payments and funded appraisals in England, warning it sets a ‘very dangerous precedent’ for NHS dentistry.
Under amendments to the Primary Dental Services Statement of Financial Entitlements, the annual contract value for 2026-27 will increase by 3.31%.
However, the Department of Health and Social Care has decided not to increase payments linked to quality improvement activities or funded appraisals, which it has classified as non-core clinical activities.
The BDA argues that the move allows ministers and officials to decide which elements of the dental contract receive uplifts and which do not.
The association pointed out that the headline uplift comprises a 3.75% increase for pay and 2.23% for expenses, and was calculated using the GDP deflator rather than what it regards as a realistic measure of rising practice costs.
The BDA estimates that a 6.31% uplift would have been required to cover dental inflation.
Shiv Pabary, chair of the association’s general dental practice committee, criticised the decision, saying: ‘Dentists have got used to government dressing up pay cuts as uplifts, but officials are now playing a very dangerous game, setting aside key parts of our contract as unworthy of attention.
‘Quality improvement and funded appraisals are suddenly “voluntary, targeted incentives”, not core parts of our contract.’
Mr Pabary added that BDA members ‘will be left wondering where this pick and mix approach will end’.
The amended financial directions, which came into force on 23 June, also confirm increases to a number of other payments, including those relating to foundation training, parental leave and urgent treatment services.