Ready For New NHS Targets? No? Then Just “Pretend”
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- Published: Wednesday, 29 June 2022 07:48
- Written by Chris Tapper
- Hits: 2180
“From 1 July, NHS dentists have to pretend they’ve returned to ‘business as usual” Dr Shawn Charlwood has told the profession.
Dr Charlwood wrote as NHS England yesterday announced the “Restoration of dental services to pre-pandemic levels.”
The Chair of the British Dental Association’s General Dental Practice Committee said on Twitter and the British Dental Association’s BDA News website, that business as usual “For 1000s of struggling practices, nothing could be further from the truth.”
Dr Charlwood said “Imposing fanciful targets is easy for Ministers. “
“The harder but necessary path demands real reform and fair funding.”
Earlier in the day, a letter from NHS England was circulated to all NHS primary care dental contract holders, telling GDP’s that given the easing of IPC restrictions “This letter is to confirm that we will be returning to usual contracting arrangements from Q2 2022/23 onwards, as indicated in our letter of 5th April 2022.”
BDA News reported “The British Dental Association has slammed the moves by NHS England to try and return to business as usual, warning that the new 100% activity target - set to be imposed from 1 July - will offer no flexibility to the thousands of NHS practices struggling to ’live with Covid.’”
BDA News said “A 95% target has been in force since 1 April.
The website said significantly “The BDA understands delivery in the last quarter fell dramatically at the outset, a reflection of mounting workforce problems.”
“The professional body believes these choices are driven by Treasury diktats, not by the data emerging from the frontline.”
NHS England’s communication to NHS GDP’s said that Orthodontic services would continue to work to ‘usual contracting arrangements’ as they had been since 1 April 2022.
The NHS England letter, signed by Director of Primary Care Dr Ursula Montgomery and Director for Dentistry Ali Sparke, went on to confirm “The full year income protection set at 90% of contracted activity for practices exiting the prototype programme will continue, as previously communicated.”
Dentists expressed their dismay on social media at the announcement of the 100 target for the second quarter of the financial year and the NHSE letter did little to allay fears that meaningful NHS dental contract reform would be a long way off. The letter hinted that any forthcoming changes would be minor.
The NHSE letter said “Contract reform is complex and requires careful consideration of step-wise incremental change to be successful and long-lasting. We hope to make an announcement soon on an initial package of changes.”
BDA News echoed the letter’s message when it reported “The government is expected to introduce modest,
marginal changes to the current discredited contract before parliament’s summer recess, but formal negotiations on fundamental reform have yet to begin.”
One dentist remarked on Facebook that hitting the new 100% target was “Impossible with current shortage” – referring to staff and dentist shortages.
Meanwhile on Twitter, there was a feeling that the Government is persisting in its covert plan to eradicate dentistry from the NHS by the back door.
Retired dentist Carrie Bradshaw wrote “Tories want rid of NHS dentistry. It’ll be treat ‘em and street ‘em within 5 years. It’s an absolute travesty.”
Others agreed. Jeremy Thompson wrote
Every govt has wanted rid of NHS dentistry since I qualified in 1992.
— Jeremy Thompson (@JeremyT335) June 28, 2022
While Steve Tittensor said the writing was on the wall in the early 90’s. He tweeted
I qualified in 88 just as check up charges were introduced. They all want rid but don’t want to carry the can for doing it
— Steve Tittensor (@stevetittensor) June 28, 2022
Those in rental property and Bank loans, and struggling to find associates will feel real pain. Will that be a small 1/2 person set up, or a highly leveraged Corporate?
Needed a break after the last quarter trying to hit the target, all close to stress burnout. So along with all the bank holidays there's absolutely no chance of hitting the Q1 95% target, never mind 100% from now on.
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