Dentists blast NHS reform as just 3% believe the government’s plan will help them to see more patients, poll finds

Just 3 per cent of dentists think the Government’s dental recovery plan will allow them to see more NHS patients, according to a new poll.

A survey of 1,104 dentists in England found that 43 per cent actually believe the proposals will cause them to see fewer NHS patients, while 54 per cent said the number of NHS patients would increase. ‘they see would remain the same.

The government last month unveiled its £200m plan to boost NHS dentistry in England.

However, leading dentists have said the stimulus package will not be enough to help people who struggle to access dental care.

A new poll from the British Dental Association (BDA) has found that three quarters (75%) of dentists do not believe the plan will improve access to the NHS for new patients.

More than nine in ten (93 per cent) said the proposals are not ambitious enough to meet the scale of the challenge facing NHS dentistry.

The dental recovery plan includes £20,000 bonuses for dentists working in underserved communities, better paid dentists for their work with the NHS and a Smile for Life advice program for parents.

There are also plans for the rollout of so-called “dental vans” in rural and coastal communities, as well as the biggest expansion of water fluoridation in England since the 1980s.

When the plan was revealed, hundreds of people were seen queuing in Bristol after a dentist opened his books for new NHS patients on February 6.

Police were called in to help manage queues which people waited for hours in the hope of getting on the list for NHS care.

MPs on the Health and Social Care Committee are set to quiz Health Minister Dame Andrea Leadsom today on the Government’s recovery plan for NHS dental services.

The government said the plan “will fund more than 1.5 million additional NHS dental treatments or 2.5 million NHS dentist appointments”.

But the BDA has called on the government to publish the modeling behind the claim.

Shawn Charlwood, chair of the British Dental Association’s general dental practice committee, who will also give evidence to the committee today, said: “Retests are difficult to obtain, but it will prove much more difficult for ministers to find a dentist who supports their outlandish claims.

“This profession has seen clearly.

“Meaningless soundbites won’t stop queues at offices, and questionable statistics won’t put an end to ‘DIY’ dentistry.

“Bringing dentistry into the 21st century requires real commitment, which is frankly rare. »

The Department of Health and Social Care has been contacted for comment.