Concessions won on Capita failings
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- Published: Friday, 30 September 2016 14:34
- Written by News Editor
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The British Dental Association (BDA) has won concessions from NHS England after failings by subcontractor Capita left many practitioners unable to attach performers to contracts. NHS England have agreed to extend the two month window for claims relating to new performers to the middle of 2017. Officials have also pledged to bring down the current backlog of applications.
A growing number of NHS dentists had reported a significant decline in the performance of key agencies in 2016, including NHS England, the Business Services Authority, Primary Care Support England and their subcontractors Capita. The BDA has stressed that evidence from members has been instrumental in securing progress with NHS England. The dentists' body is now reaching out to GDPs in England and Wales to gather intelligence on where members are facing problems or risk being left out of pocket, as it presses for further concessions and improvements in performance.
BDA chair of General Dental Practice, Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen, said: “Our members have reported a significant deterioration in the performance of key NHS agencies over recent months. Thanks to their feedback we’ve been able to make our case directly to NHS England. And today I’m pleased to announce – that after countless failures at Capita – they have acted and pledged to extend the two month window for claims, and pledged to finally start clearing their backlog of applications.
“It’s progress, but we can’t leave it at that. We are determined to build on this success. Hardworking dentists risk being left out of pocket through no fault of their own. We’ve heard from associates who have lost out on job offers and been left unable to work as a result of delays getting performer numbers. We’ve spoken to practice owners who’ve been denied payment for NHS treatment they’ve delivered - but have had to pay patient charge revenue over to the NHS, whether or not the patient paid them.
“It’s time to remind these agencies that they have a responsibility to deliver a service that’s fit for purpose. We want to hear from all our members working in NHS general practice across England and Wales who've experienced problems. Together our voices cannot be ignored.”
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