BDA slams DH plans to end bursaries
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- Published: Monday, 04 July 2016 07:50
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The British Dental Association (BDA) has roundly criticised government plans to strip dental hygiene and dental therapy students of the NHS bursary. Paul Blaylock, Chair of the BDA’s Students Committee, said: “The abolition of the NHS bursary is bad news for dentistry and for all dental professionals.”
Many student dental therapists, hygienists, nurses, midwives and other Allied Health Professionals are funded through the scheme, which includes support towards living costs and students’ tuition fees. Full time students also qualify for a £1,000 non means tested maintenance grant. This funding system is set to be replaced by full student loans from September 2017.
The BDA has said the move would significantly increase debt levels, and deter students from less privileged backgrounds or those undertaking second degrees. It has also cautioned that the reforms could put many dental hygiene and therapy course providers under threat of closure, and would not allow for sufficient workforce planning - threatening the delivery of the NHS Five Year Forward View.
The changes proposed by the Government for 2017-18 would leave the average student with a maintenance loan of £7,263 and a tuition fee loan of £9,000 – with the BDA estimating a likely increase of over £11,000 in average costs to each student per academic year. Research from London Economics has estimated that any savings generated by axing the bursary would be more than wiped out by an increase in spending on agency staff and overseas recruitment costs.
At present over 2,500 dental therapists and over 6,500 hygienists are registered with the General Dental Council (GDC). It is widely anticipated these reforms will be extended to funding systems for student medics and dentists.
Paul Blaylock, Chair of the BDA’s Students Committee, said: “The abolition of the NHS bursary is bad news for dentistry and for all dental professionals. Dental hygienists and therapists are instrumental in delivering treatment, prevention and healthcare education to patients. The Government says prevention and public health require a ‘radical upgrade’, yet this cut is an entirely retrograde step, that would deliver no savings and simply serve to undermine dental teams. Dentists stand with all our healthcare colleagues in opposition to a cut that could jeopardize patient care, and exclude talented people from the health professions simply because they lack the means.”
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