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Published: Wednesday, 02 March 2022 08:07

Written by Peter Ingle

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GDPUK has been tracking some of the twists, turns and misinformation of NHS England’s much publicised 50 million emergency plan for NHS dentistry.

• January 2022   Constant press coverage about the lack of access to NHS dentistry, with daily stories and reports. Questions raised in Parliament.
• January 20^th   BDA media onslaught. A huge amount of generally favourable coverage across the regions and media. Crisp and consistent messaging that NHS dentistry needs urgent action now, if it is to survive.
• January 25^th     Heavily publicised 50 million pounds for NHS dentistry access “blitz,” is announced.  Underlining the lack of ambition, all resulting treatment is to be delivered by March 31^st.  In large bold print the official release sets out that there is a deadline for bids for this money.  It is 10am on January 31st.
• February 10^th Westminster Hall debate about dental access. Cross party group of MP’s recount tales of woe from constituents. Minister responds, claiming good uptake of the 50 million pound initiative.
• Friday 18^th     “Myth buster” letter.  In an effort to drum up support for the floundering initiative a creatively titled “Myth buster” letter is sent out by NHS England. Reading it suggests that dentists had misread the generous offer from NHSE. The extra UDA’s can still be applied for. There is a new deadline, shown as “[add date]” in the published document. The work did not have to be delivered out of hours. Yes, the sessions could be delivered by FD’s, no they did not have to be in whole 3.5 hour blocks, yes they could be done even if you had not yet hit the 85% UDA target, and no, they were not being funded through clawback.
• 18^th February to 22^nd February.   Perhaps the scheme really is going well? GDPUK asks NHS England’s press team, who had been very efficient and helpful the day the extra funding was announced. This time 3 emails were sent over 4 days, with no response. Caught at last, a press officer has nothing to tell us, and could only refer us back to the original press releases. Nor could he comment on the myth buster letter. When pressed, he says that the project is now being handled by the regions.
• 23^rd February.  GDPUK asks the BDA if they know about uptake of the 50 million?  Their press and media operation respond, they have no information either. Understandably, they find the lack of such information “frustrating.”
• We are now in March with a deadline for delivery of all associated treatment at the end of this month. Perhaps this doesn’t matter though, as the DOH and NHS have now banked the positive headlines.

Scotland

Devolution was very much about allowing the nations to come up with distinct ways of dealing with challenges. So how are things going in Scotland?

In their push to improve access last summer it was announced that NHS treatment would be free up to the age of 26. This followed the SNP’s prior election pledge of free NHS dentistry for all, with last year’s inclusion of 18 to 25 year olds being an interim stage. In a style familiar to their southern colleagues, Scottish practices received guidance and advice on its introduction one day before they were expected to operate the new system. At this time, Scottish dentists were receiving emergency payments introduced to help practices survive the pandemic. But by autumn the Scottish Health Secretary, Hamza Yousaf, had announced that the support payments would end on April 1^st this year. The Scottish Conservatives, Labour, and Lib Dems, united, tabling a motion to continue the emergency funding. It was defeated, but the Health Secretary is left with the challenge of 3.5 million appointments lost through the pandemic. Morale in practices is described as being at an all-time low, with a third of dentists saying that they plan to leave over the next 12 months, and 80% intending to reduce their NHS commitment. Without the practices and dental teams to deliver, “free treatment” will be available in theory rather than practice.

As David McColl of the Scottish BDA said “Promises have been made to the voting public that simply can’t be kept.” Dentists in the rest of the UK will know how he feels.

MPs have recently shown a better understanding of why there is an access problem, realising that limited funding and chaotic payment systems are partly responsible. All of the solutions they have suggested so far are expensive. Yet, it is hard to imagine more money for dentistry being anywhere near the top of any administrations to-do list.                                                                                

Will we ever see a politician brave enough to admit that funding a full NHS service on the current budget is impossible, and open the discussion on what compromises need to be made?

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