Patient groups said dentistry needed urgent attention, but the government said it was on a more secure footing.

The new contract was meant to tempt more dentists to work in the NHS by paying them the same money for seeing less patients.

Dentists have long complained that they face a “drill and fill” environment whereby they have to maximise the number of people they treat.

Instead, the new contract was meant to allow them to spend more time with patients to do preventative work, supposedly making NHS work more attractive.

But dentists have been critical of the new arrangements, which also saw a simplified charging system introduced, because of what they say is a lack of money in the system.

The official figures show that there were 21,038 NHS dentists in England at the end of March 2007, down on the 21,111 figure in March 2006.

Although, the contract did end up attracting new dentists into the system because 1,000 dentists left the NHS when the new deal came in to either retire or concentrate solely on private patients.

Difficulties

The government’s report admitted there were “significant challenges ahead” and some areas still had access difficulties.

Liz Phelps, of Citizens Advice, said: “We continue to report huge problems for people trying to find an NHS dentist locally.

“The urgent priority must now be to make the reforms work for patients by funding the new arrangements adequately.”

And Peter Ward, chief executive of the British Dental Association, said: “This is not a picture of success and confidence. The government must start listening to the profession and patients.”

From:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6935139.stm

On April Fools day last year Health Direct posted D Day for Dentists- 1,000 dentists expected to quit NHS in new contract row

An exodus of about 1,000 dentists from the NHS in England was predicted last night by the chief executives of primary care trusts, who take over untried and untested management of the service from today.

The NHS Confederation provided the first hard evidence of how patients will be affected by a dentists’ contract that came into effect at midnight.

It said PCT chief executives forecast that 6% of dentists will stop providing free NHS treatment for adults over the next 12 months and 5% will withdraw NHS treatment for children.

Nearly 20,000 dentists were paid for NHS work last year, according to official figures from the Dental Practice Board. But the board’s total included many dentists who also did private work and there was no reliable estimate of the number of patients who could be affected.

Last year Health Direct warned that the labour government may have to review the contract in 2007.

Peter Ward, chief executive of the British Dental Association, said many dentists were signing the new contract while continuing to dispute the terms.

“The profession recognised the need for change from the old system which, in the words of the Audit Commission, put dentists on the treadmill. But the new contract is target-driven and untested, and the fear is that it won’t give time for more preventive care.”