Recruitment: Where Have All The Dentists Gone?
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- Published: Monday, 14 April 2025 09:27
- Written by Guy Tuggle
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Dentists are not looking for jobs and there‘s a ‘critical dentist shortage‘ a leading dental organisation, the Association of Dental Groups (ADG) is claiming.
The ADG sounded the alarm as data released by the General Dental Council (GDC) last week (10th April) reveals that less than one percent of the workforce is actively seeking work. Just 241 (0.8%) of the 30,066 who completed the regulator’s ’Working Patterns Survey’ indicated that they were seeking a first or new position.
Noting that there are some 3000 vacancies for dentists (2749 full-time equivalent ’FTE’) and 411 FTE vacancies in private practices, the ADG cautions that ’this does not bode well’ for organisations and practices seeking to fill them.
These figures relate to roles that have been open for an average of 180 days per post.
A statement issued by the ADG said "it is clear that irrespective of the need for NHS contract reform, there is a system-wide shortage of dentists in the UK across the profession’s ‘mixed-economy’. Despite this gap, however, the GDC working patterns survey, which had an impressive 66 percent response rate from dentists who were sent the questionnaire, shows there is a willingness among dentists to take on NHS care with the data showing that the number of dentists undertaking 75 percent or more NHS dentistry care is at 42 percent.
The Association of Dental Groups (ADG) is a trade association for groups of dental health and care practices and organisations working with and on behalf of members, representing their view and progressing improvements in the working environment for groups of dental providers of oral health care.
The ADG has 28 members including some of the largest groups of dental practices in the country, but the Association also represents smaller providers with fewer than 5 practices. Across ADG’s members there are approximately 10,000 clinicians delivering NHS, community and private dentistry to more than 10 million patients every year.
Neil Carmichael, Executive Chair, Association of Dental Groups said: “The ADG encouraged the GDC to conduct this survey which will help all dentistry stakeholders get an up-to-date picture of the status.
The crux remains that our priority still needs to be recruitment. We have a shortage of over 2,700 vacant dentist roles within the NHS – and yet today’s news from the GDC shows that from those who completed the survey there may only be approximately 241 dentists who were actively looking for work. Our ADG members who run dental practices up and down the country from the large to the small are leaning-in to support the ‘mixed economy’ - but we do need to recruit, recruit, recruit!".
Mr Carmichael noted the willingness of many to work in the NHS, the issue of contract reform notwithstanding, but concluded that "without the sheer scale of the number of dentist vacancies filled, we cannot hope to speed-track reform.”
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