Dentists leave NHS in Bucks, Beds & Herts amid claims sector "hanging by a thread"
Over 2,500 NHS Dentists have stopped treating patients in England and Wales
The number of NHS Dentists in Bucks, Beds and Herts fell by 85 last year.
39 of those were in the East and North Hertfordshire CCG, 21 in Bucks, and 25 in Beds, Luton and Milton Keynes.
Unions have warned NHS dentistry is “hanging by a thread” with some patients facing two-year waits for routine check ups.
Data from NHS England and NHS Wales shows more than 2,500 dentists – up to 8% of the workforce – stopped treating NHS patients last year.
At least one town in England has been unable to attract a single applicant for vacant NHS dentist posts for two years.
The British Dental Association (BDA) said unhappiness with the NHS dental contract was a key factor.
The BDA’s Shawn Charlwood warned significant numbers of dentists were planning on leaving the NHS.
“NHS dentistry is hanging by a thread, because without NHS dentists, there will be no NHS dentistry,” said Mr Charlwood.
“It’s a really serious situation and every dentist that is lost or every vacancy for NHS dentistry that remains unfilled affects thousands of patients in terms of care and their ability to access care.”
"Every practice struggling to fill vacancies translates into thousands of patients unable to access care,” said Mr Charlwood.
"Years of failed contracts and underfunding have meant a growing number of dentists no longer see the NHS as a place to build a career. The pandemic has upped the ante, and we are now facing down an exodus.
"Ministers have failed to grasp that we can't have NHS dentistry without NHS dentists.
“Rather than punishing colleagues, we need a service that recognises and rewards commitment.”
Why are dentists leaving?
Until last year, NHS dentists in England and Wales had been using the units of dental activity (UDA) system.
UDAs are used to measure a practice’s activity. Courses of treatment - for example, a check up or a filling, are banded into UDAs.
Practices are set targets of UDAs to achieve, and if that target is missed, the contract holder and the practice can be forced to pay back money - known as ‘claw back’.
Critics have claimed the UDA system does not incentivise preventative work, and is a key reason for dentists leaving the health service.
Wales moved away from the UDA system in 2020, but the system is still in place in England.
The BDA has predicted the number of NHS dentists in Wales will increase in the coming years and has called on England to reform the dental contract.
An NHS spokesperson said:
“The NHS has taken unprecedented action to support NHS dentists throughout the pandemic by providing additional funding for practices unable to deliver their usual levels of activity, alongside rapidly setting up 600 urgent dental centres across England so patient services could be maintained during the pandemic.
“People should continue to come forward for the dental care they need, and the care and treatment of people who need it most should be prioritised.”