Dentistry sources

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• If you live in Bath you can't get an appointment to see a National Health Service dentist. To do so you will have to travel to just outside Bristol, where you could be squeezed into one practice's jammed schedule in a month's time. Guardian 3 March 2001.
• Private dentists charge up to six times NHS rate Inquiry looms after pressure groups blame lack of competition for wide variation in fees.   Guardian Tuesday January 22, 2002
• NHS dental pledge after big swing to private care.  John Carvel, social affairs editor Monday January 6, 2003 The Guardian
• Dentists are facing a crackdown in the way they charge patients for private work amid growing concern over the erosion of National Health Service treatment from dental surgeries. Jo Revill, health editor Sunday March 16, 2003 The Observer
• Never has it been harder to find an NHS dentist. They have become a species as rare as sparrows in inner cities, with large bills or insurance plans the only remedy for a desperate patient with raging toothache. Leader Sunday March 16, 2003 The Observer
• As many as one in four people paying for private dental treatment is forced to do so because they cannot find an NHS practitioner, according to a survey that highlights the growing shortage of affordable dentistry. Jo Revill, health editor Sunday March 23, 2003 The Observer
• Private dental patients are poorly informed and may be overcharged for treatment, the Office of Fair Trading announced this week. Saturday March 29, 2003 The Guardian
• Plans for radical changes to NHS dentistry are failing to stem the exodus of professionals into private practice because the government has promised no extra funds, the chairman of the British Dental Association (BDA) is warning. Raekha Prasad Wednesday July 2, 2003 The Guardian
• Hundreds queue as Scarborough NHS dentist fills gap in market. David Ward Wednesday February 18, 2004 The Guardian
  • Health chiefs are investigating a Dutch dentist drafted in to set up a surgery in a town that was bereft of an NHS practice after it emerged that she may have a criminal record. Alexis Akwagyiram Thursday February 26, 2004 The Guardian
  • The NHS dentist who prompted a massive queue for treatment when she opened her surgery last week unexpectedly closed her doors yesterday after the revelation that she had a criminal record in the Netherlands where she is from.  Martin Wainwright Friday February 27, 2004 The Guardian
• Around half of Britain's population is not registered with a dental surgery due to a shortage of NHS dentists, the government admitted today.  Wednesday February 18, 2004
• Decaying dentistry. Martin Wainwright Thursday February 19, 2004
• The uproar surrounding NHS dentistry is based on a misreading of the statistics, and confusion over what the system is for, says Paul Batchelor. Friday February 20, 2004
• Residents of the Isle of Wight, who have endured some of the worst shortfalls in NHS dentistry in the country, are planning to take a "tooth ferry" to France for cheap dental treatment. A Cowes councillor, frustrated by the lack of NHS dentists, is planning a form of dental tourism to address the problem faced by people living in his area. Alexis Akwagyiram Thursday April 15, 2004 The Guardian
• An extra 5,250 dentists may be needed in England and Wales to meet barely adequate levels of NHS provision, a study suggests today. The increase of more than a quarter on current numbers would mean luring existing dentists who have only private patients into NHS work and employing foreign dentists, say the study's authors. James Meikle, health correspondent Monday May 10, 2004 The Guardian
• The routine six-monthly dental check-up urged on NHS patients is finally on the way out after years in which its value has been questioned. Adults will instead be asked to return in between three months and two years, depending on dentists' assessment of their oral health. Children will have a maximum of a year between appointments. James Meikle, health correspondent Friday May 21, 2004 The Guardian
• Government plans to reform dental services face renewed opposition from dentists, after a survey by the British Dental Association found 59% of them would reduce or completely stop NHS work if proposed changes to the service are introduced. The BDA says dentists are concerned new finance systems are being rushed in, and have little confidence in the government's plans for NHS dentistry in England and Wales. Paul Stephenson and agencies Wednesday May 26, 2004
• Reforms announced by the government today, including plans to recruit more than 1,000 dentists, are "a positive first step on the long walk back to NHS dentistry," say dentists. Tash Shifrin Friday July 16, 2004
• John Reid, the health secretary, promised yesterday to hire an extra 1,000 dentists to relieve a shortage that is denying more than half the adults in England the opportunity to register for NHS care. He said he would increase the health service's annual dental budget by £250m a year (nearly 20%) and push through a new contract for the profession to reward preventive work, reducing the financial pressure to "drill and fill". John Carvel, social affairs editor Saturday July 17, 2004 The Guardian
• Adults who smoke and drink heavily might be seeing more of their dentists. So might children exposed to the temptations of fizzy drinks. But healthy-eating people might have two-year gaps between routine checkups under the long-expected end for the NHS's six-monthly check for everyone, which was announced yesterday. James Meikle Wednesday October 27, 2004 The Guardian
• The NHS has recruited dentists from Poland and Spain as part of its promise to boost dentist numbers by 1,000 for next October, health minister Rosie Winterton has announced. The first 30 dentists from Poland, which joined the European Union in May, are due to arrive in the UK in January, she told MPs yesterday. Dentists have also been recruited from Spain and are already working in the NHS, she said. Debbie Andalo Wednesday November 3, 2004
• The biggest shakeup of NHS dentistry in England since its establishment in 1948 may do nothing to improve patients' chances of getting treatment on the state - and could hasten the system's collapse, parliamentary spending watchdogs warn today. Dentists may further reduce their commitments to NHS services, despite changes meant to safeguard their income while giving them time to see more patients and give disease prevention advice, according to the National Audit Office. James Meikle, health correspondent Thursday November 25, 2004 The Guardian
• Dentists have suspended talks on new NHS contracts in a new setback for government plans to reform the service and restore state-subsidised provision to parts of England where it has almost disappeared. Huge changes are ear marked for next October when the system of "drill and fill" piecework payments should be replaced by salaried arrangements with local primary trusts. These would allow dentists more time with patients, especially to give disease prevention advice. The shake-up - accompanied by the promise of 1,000 new NHS dentists, many recruited from abroad - has already been delayed and the National Audit Office, the parliamentary watchdog, recently warned that the changes might not bring the hoped-for benefits. James Meikle Wednesday December 8, 2004 The Guardian
• Scotland unveils £150m dentistry 'shake-up'. Debbie Andalo Thursday March 17, 2005
• The government today defended its record on dentistry - after a queue of more than 1,500 people formed to register with a new NHS dentist in Spalding, Lincolnshire. Monday March 21, 2005
• Spending on private dentists has doubled in the last five years and is predicted to rise a further 24% by 2009, according to a report by public market researchers. Debbie Andalo Thursday May 19, 2005
• The government today said it was on track to increase dentist numbers by 1,000 within five months despite the results of a survey which revealed that nearly half of England's dentists were unable to offer emergency appointments to unregistered patients either on the NHS or privately. Debbie Andalo and agencies Thursday May 19, 2005
• Something rotten with the state of dentistry. Simon Hoggart Wednesday June 15, 2005 The Guardian
• The government today said it was on track to increase dentist numbers by 1,000 within five months despite the results of a survey which revealed that nearly half of England's dentists were unable to offer emergency appointments to unregistered patients either on the NHS or privately. Debbie Andalo and agencies Thursday May 19, 2005
• Spending on private dentists has doubled in the last five years and is predicted to rise a further 24% by 2009, according to a report by public market researchers. Debbie Andalo Thursday May 19, 2005
• The popular belief in the US that Britain is inhabited by people plagued with rotten teeth may be far from the truth, but with growing concern about access to NHS dentists, the state of our oral health is cause for anxiety. Mary O'Hara Wednesday June 22, 2005 The Guardian
• The maximum price for a course of NHS dental treatment is to be cut by more than half to £183 under reforms announced yesterday by Rosie Winterton, the health minister. She said patients would no longer be recommended to go for a simple check-up every six months. At present this costs about £6 a visit, with extra charges for scaling and polishing or x-rays. Those with healthy teeth would be advised to attend once every 18 months or two years, paying £15 for a complete package of preventive dental work. John Carvel, social affairs editor Friday July 8, 2005 The Guardian
• Two million people are unable to register for NHS dental care because of a national shortage of 1,850 dentists, MPs revealed today in a report criticising the slow pace of change on dental reforms. There are "dismaying" variations in dental health across England with a clear north-south divide, according to a report published today by the House of Commons public accounts committee. Debbie Andalo and agencies Thursday July 14, 2005
• My dentist says I need two fillings and a crown. He will do NHS, but says it won't look as good and recommends I go private. The price will be around £700 whereas on the NHS it should be under £150. Is it worth paying the extra? Should I insist on NHS? I'm worried I'll be struck off his list if I always go for the "cheap" NHS option. Friday September 16, 2005
• Brace yourself for dentist fees. Whether you use the NHS or go private the cost of dentistry can be had to swallow, says Harvey Jones. So how do you minimise the financial pain of your visit? Tuesday November 8, 2005
• Two-thirds of dentists may leave the NHS. A survey by the Local Dental Committee has found that two-thirds of NHS dentists in Greater Manchester are considering turning private because of the new contract. Summary by Keep our NHS Public of  Manchester Evening News 12 January 2006
• One in five dentists ready to leave NHS. Research by the British Dental Association and the Conservative Party suggests that 20% of dentists could stop offering NHS treatment in protest at the new contract that comes in on April 1. Summary by Keep our NHS Public of  Sunday Telegraph 29 January 2006
• Private company to provide NHS dentistry in Wales. Private dental company Denticare is setting up five surgeries in Newtown, Brecon, and Lampeter, Port Talbot and Killay, to serve a total of 26,000 patients. The Welsh Assembly has part funded the set-up costs. The move has been justified on the grounds of current under-capacity. But The British Dental Association in Wales said the move was "not equitable" and could destabilise existing NHS practices. It said it feared that Denticare could receive more favourable terms from Local Health Boards (LHBs) than existing dentists, including the set-up subsidy and fixed contracts.  Summary by Keep our NHS Public of BBC Online 10 February 2006
• Tony Blair is holding talks with private firms brought in to treat NHS patients. The Prime Minister will meet representatives of the independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs) at Number 10 where he will praise their work. The firms were brought in to cut waiting times. But they face opposition from unions and doctors' leaders who say they are putting traditional NHS services and patient care at risk. Thursday February 16, 2006 8:58 AM
• Is this the end of the NHS dentist? Leeds PCTs have said that any dentist who opts out of treating adults on the NHS will no longer be paid to treat children either. It could mean thousands of youngsters will be left with no access to a dentist, unless their parents can afford to pay for private treatment. While the new dentists' contract is prompting some dentists to go private for adults, many surgeries had still been hoping to treat children for free. But the PCT has insisted dentists must be either entirely private or entirely NHS, with no in between. Summary by Keep our NHS Public of Yorkshire Evening Post 24 February 2006
• Negotiations between dentists and their NHS bosses over new contracts are in chaos and will force more surgeries to opt out of NHS treatment this spring, dentists' leaders warned yesterday. New contracts need to be signed by Wednesday or dentists will not be paid for their NHS work in May, but 90% of heads of local dentist committees, which represent most practices, told the British Dental Association that they were still struggling with them. Polly Curtis and Hsiao-Hung Pai Saturday February 25, 2006 The Guardian
• The government's new dentistry contract - which comes into force on April 1 - could force even more dentists to turn their backs on the NHS, writes Susie Sanderson [British Dental Association].  Thursday March 30, 2006 The Guardian
• The government was locked in a battle with dentists last night after claims that one in 10 is planning to leave the NHS. All dentists have to sign a new contract to provide NHS care by the end of today or face uncertain funding. The British Dental Association claimed that one in 10 has rejected the new contracts, which they say makes it impossible for them to survive financially and provide the standard of free NHS treatment the government is asking for. Rosie Winterton, the health minister, dismissed the BDA's survey as unrepresentative and alarmist. Polly Curtis and John Carvel Friday March 31, 2006 The Guardian
• 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 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. John Carvel, social affairs editor Saturday April 1, 2006 The Guardian
• The mass exodus of dentists from the NHS, which many in the profession predicted, did not happen. The new NHS dental contract begins today with an estimated 10% refusing to sign. However, many more who did sign, signalled they were "in dispute" with its conditions. Stand by for long, drawn-out legal wrangles. What is already clear is that the new contract will not arrest serious deterioration in the country's dental service. Leader Saturday April 1, 2006 The Guardian
• More than three quarters of people believe it will be harder to find a dentist under new Government reforms coming into force. A Which? survey has found that only 1% of people in England think finding a dentist will get easier under new arrangements. More than three quarters (78%) said it would get harder to find an NHS dentist in the next 12 months, while 11% think the situation will stay the same. When asked whether they trusted the Government to improve NHS dentistry over the next year, 79% said no, with the figure highest among those aged over 55. Saturday April 1, 2006 10:08 PM
• Thousands of children are to be denied regular check-ups on their teeth, leading to more decay and extractions, because of the crisis in NHS dentistry, leading figures in the field are warning.  Jo Revill, health editor Sunday April 2, 2006 The Observer
• I have worked as a dentist in the NHS for some 30 years and I can state that the new dental contract is the worst deal for patients since the NHS was conceived (Leaders, April 1). Prior to the new contract, dentists could set up a new practice wherever they wanted and get funding for the treatment (but not the premises). No more - not unless you are can obtain funding from the primary care trust, which is under the funding restraint of treatment frozen at 2004-05 levels.  Letter Wednesday April 5, 2006 The Guardian
• Figures for the number of dentists who have signed up to a controversial new contract are to be unveiled by the Government. The Government says the contract, which came into force on April 1, heralds a new way for delivering and paying for NHS dentistry. But it has caused outrage among many dentists, with the British Dental Association (BDA) saying a number in England and Wales have refused to sign up. According to a recent BDA survey, one in 10 have rejected the contract and will withdraw from NHS work, while many more have registered objections. Friday April 7, 2006 8:23 AM
• Angry dentists quit the NHS in droves. One in nine dental practices in Yorkshire have quit the NHS amid anger over their new contracts. Ninety practices out of 800 in the region have left for the private sector. Summary by Keep our NHS Public of  Yorkshire Post 6 April 2006 [North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire Strategic Health Authority, South Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority, West Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority]
• Thousands of dentists ditch NHS. About 2,000 dentists walked away from the NHS after not signing the new contract, leaving up to 1m patients without dentists. Of those that did sign, the British Dental Association says that 60% were unhappy with the terms of the contract and could still opt out. Summary by Keep our NHS Public of  BBC Online 7 April 2006
• Nearly 1 million patients were left without access to cheap dental care this week when about 2,000 NHS dentists across England refused to sign a contract introduced by the government, according to official figures released yesterday.  John Carvel, social affairs editor Saturday April 8, 2006 The Guardian
• A dentist has said he has been told to get rid of hundreds of NHS patients because there is no longer funding for his practice. Dr Jaideep Prashar has 1,200 NHS patients at his clinic in Hampstead in north London, which opened in November. He claimed he was a victim of the government's new dentists' contracts which were signed last week. The local Camden Primary Care Trust (PCT) said Dr Prashar opened his practice without discussing funding. BBC Online 9 April 2006
• Up to a third of dentists won't sign NHS contract. Nearly a third of dentists in some parts of England have refused to sign new NHS contracts - contradicting a recent statement by Tony Blair that "about 90 to 95%" of dentists had signed up. A leaked government document, showing exactly how many dentists in each area have taken up the contracts, reveals that in the south west, 29% of dentists have refused to sign up; in the Thames Valley, 15%; in Hampshire, 18%; in Yorkshire, 23%; and in the West Midlands, 24%. In south-west London, the figure is 12%; in Manchester, 11%; in Kent, 14%; and in Dorset, 15%. In Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, 23% have not signed up. Of the 9,419 contracts offered in England, 1,096 have been rejected, including some covering more than one dentist - a national average of 12% more than Mr Blair's claim.  Summary by Keep our NHS Public of  Telegraph 16 April 2006
• Pay up if you want your teeth back. A dental patient is not smiling after the practice that removed six of his front teeth went private in the middle of his treatment. Darren Wheeler, 30, of Whiston, near Rotherham, South Yorks, had been due to have dentures fitted by staff at the town's Birkdale Clinic. "It's a real kick in the teeth - or it would be if I had any," he said.  Summary by Keep our NHS Public of  Telegraph 21 April 2006
• Patients undergoing routine dental treatments for root canal problems may have been exposed to infection by the human form of BSE because instruments have been previously used on patients unwittingly carrying the incurable disease, government scientific advisers said yesterday. About 3m such treatments are conducted every year in England and Wales alone. The scientists have told health ministers to consider banning the reuse of the equipment needed because of "hypothetical but plausible scenarios" which suggest that person-to person cases of variant CJD might follow the shrinking number of animal-to-human cases. James Meikle Tuesday May 9, 2006 The Guardian
• NHS patients could win right to free dentistry abroad. British citizens frustrated by the lack of dentist provision might soon be able to receive treatments and check-ups throughout the European Union and charge the cost back to the NHS. Last month, in the case of arthritis patient Yvonne Watts, the European Court of Justice ruled that the NHS was liable to refund the costs of private medical treatment in the EU for UK citizens if their NHS treatment at home was subject to 'undue delay'. The judgment applies in the first instance to hospital treatment, but legal and dental sources say it opens the way for people unable to register with a health service dentist to seek NHS-paid for treatment in nearby EU countries. In order to inoculate dentistry against the legal precedent set by the Watts case, the government would be forced to argue that UK citizens have no right to free or subsidised dental check-ups and treatment. Summary by Keep our NHS Public of  Public Finance 9 May 2006
• Migrant workers account for almost half of new NHS dentists, according to a report published yesterday. But concerns over a shortage of dentists working in the NHS persist, as the figures were compiled before controversial new contracts led some to quit the service. The data, from the Information Centre for health and social care, was released amid growing calls to block open access for Romanian and Bulgarian workers when their countries join the EU. Tania Branigan and Sarah Hall Thursday August 24, 2006 The Guardian
• It's six months since the government forced dentists to sign controversial new contracts. The aim was to simplify the payment system - and make it easier for patients to find an NHS dentist near their homes. But, it seems, the reforms may have had the opposite effect, according to a special investigation for Breakfast. BBC online 28 and 29 September 2006.
• Dentists: Thursday 28 September 2006 BBC.  Public response to the programme
  I work in an Orthodontic Practice and are faced everyday with parents complaining their child can't get free treatment. If the case is severe enough they will be treated on the NHS, but there are now quotas on the amount of patients which can be treated each year. This has eased the pressure on Orthodontists having to treat patients who don't 'need' treatment. At the end of the day no one has ever died from having 'crooked' teeth. Janette, Kent
  My son desperately needs braces but now he has to be on a waiting list. The practice he is registered with is still seeing patients from 2004. I can't imagine what year my son will be seen. I definitely cannot afford to pay for his treatment. I can't see a way out. Harsha Desai, Buckinghamshire
  My son has to wait two years for a brace. We were told if we wanted it fitted quicker we could pay £90 for a private consultation, but we can't afford to Anna, Dartford
  My daughter has recently been told that she needs a brace and the current NHS waiting time is 18 months. Catherine, Altrincham
  My 12 year old daughter needs a brace. Two and a half year waiting time. But if we pay £2,500 we get treatment immediately. Gordon
  I am a dentist. Orthodontic treatment is never vital. The main advantage is the appearance. You can determine this because patients who have never had any treatment can still speak and eat despite having malpositioned teeth. You could argue that Orthodontics is a simple form of cosmetic surgery. Ken, Scotland
  My grand daughter needs a brace. My daughter is unable to afford the £1,800 which I am having to fund out of my savings. Jean Wignall
  I've been told my son is entitled to braces & there is a three year waiting list for funds. His teeth are prominent & he is at risk of sports injuries. Julie
  I had an NHS dentist. It was lovely as i suffer with abscess's. Then they wrote and said they were going private. I cant afford that. Now I have no dentist. Rosie, Gloucester
  I am a young dentist and would love to do more NHS work. My PCT only pays for enough patients to fill three days of my week. Chris Navarro
  I used to phone my dentist, get an appointment and then go and get treatment. Now I have to make the 30 mile return journey, spend 3 minutes in the chair, just to be told to go downstairs and get an appointment. Treatment is never given anymore on the first visit. Peter Bowles, Dorset
  Practicing as a dentist for 24 years I have never wanted to do anything other than work within the NHS and serve my patients to the best of my ability. Unfortunately the government have created an expensive beaurocratic system which is compromising treatment standards and damaging dental health. Philip Martin, Leicester
  I am a mum with two boys aged 15 and 11 we are moving to cardigan Wales from the midlands and my husband and myself and our two boys cannot get a dentist in cardigan where we are moving to. Anne Davis, Burton-on-Trent
  I have a part NHS practice in Dorking where I see regular patients who may have 1 or 2 fillings a year I get paid £42.40 for a course of treatment which may take an hour at the most this amount does not cover even staff costs for an hour. I also see patients at the emergency centre at Crawley, several I saw last Sunday needed at least 8- 10 hours of my time to get them anywhere near dentally fit, that is £4.20 an hour not even the minimum wage. Dr Fiona Lowther
  I live in the Hull area. I've got a gum disease and ALL teeth falling out. In pain ALL time but still can't get dentist. Selwyn, Hull
  My dentist is in Norwich and they are still taking new NHS patients No long queues just good professional service. It is still around! Rachel
  I go to an NHS dentist - it's an excellent service, friendly, punctual, fantastic dentist and very good value. Rebecca, London
• Dentists quit after new contract. More than 1,600 dentists in England quit the NHS in the first three months since a new contract was introduced, according to official figures. NHS Information Centre statistics show the number of contracted dentists fell from 21,111 to 19,462 on 30 June. Dental Practitioners Association (DPA) chief executive Derek Watson said the contract was "inflexible and unfair". The figures drawn from reports issued on Monday and in August show a 1,649 decline in dentists with a contract to work in the NHS, which represents a fall of nearly 8%. Summary by Keep our NHS Public of BBC Online 10 October 2006
• 190 miles to find a dentist. A woman with toothache in Suffolk rang the NHS for help with the nearest available emergency dentist - and was told to seek treatment in Wolverhampton, 190 miles away. Mother-of-two Adele Buckley was advised to make the 380-mile round trip because 50 other dentists nearer her home were all full-up. A spokeswoman for NHS Direct said the organisation would investigate the claim. Summary by Keep our NHS Public of West Midlands Express & Star 12 October 2006
• Dental contracts 'cut NHS access'. Changes to the way NHS dentists work, introduced in April, have not improved access for patients, a report by the profession has warned. A survey of 650 dentists by the British Dental Association found 78% had not been seeing any more patients since the new contracts came in. The number who said 95% of their work was for the NHS fell from a third prior to the change to a quarter afterwards. The reforms were introduced in a bid to improve access to services as one-tenth of dental practices had closed their lists to new NHS patients, leaving 2m unable to register with a dentist. But, when they came in last April, around 2,000 dentists walked away from the NHS after not signing the new contract, leaving up to 1m patients without dentists. The survey found that half of the dentists who took part signed their contract in dispute over its contents. Liberal Democrat health spokeswoman Sandra Gidley said: "This survey makes a mockery out of the government's claims that their reforms would improve access to NHS dentistry. The government seems hell-bent on driving through reforms without regard to their impact on patients or professions, resulting in the current mess." Summary by Keep our NHS Public of BBC Online 19 October 2006
• NHS facing more pain after dental fees blunder. Cash-stricken NHS trusts in Yorkshire face another blow amid fears a Government blunder in calculating controversial dental charges will leave a multi-million black hole in budgets. found health chiefs in the region are predicting losses of up to £11m in revenue from new dental charges introduced in April. If the same pattern were to be repeated nationwide it could leave the NHS facing a dental charge deficit of more than £100m in 2006-07 - on top of an escalating crisis in health service finances which is already leading to swingeing cuts in care. The miscalculation would be the latest by the Department of Health over new contract. The biggest predicted deficit is in the Bradford district where health chiefs estimate they will be £2.4m below target by March. Sheffield Primary Care Trust (PCT) could run up losses of £2m - nearly 25 per cent of total revenue. Only health chiefs in North Yorkshire and Calderdale are confident they will recover the full total but most are predicting they will be 10-30 per cent short. The losses are exacerbating the NHS financial crisis. In latest estimates, NHS trusts in Yorkshire are predicting they will plunge £129m into the red by the end of March. Summary by Keep our NHS Public of Yorkshire Post 27 December 2006
• Dentists 'turning away patients'. Dentists are turning away patients because local health chiefs are running out of funds, dental leaders say. A new dental contract started last year, but early figures suggest the government overestimated how much money would be taken in patient fees. NHS trusts have begun to cut their budgets in response and the British Dental Association said this has led to some dentists refusing patients care. A government memo has urged health chiefs to get to grips with the issue. The memo and many trusts say dentists are treating more exempt patients than expected - children and those on low income do not have to pay for care. Under the contract, many adult patients make a contribution towards the cost of their treatment. The Department of Health said trusts should be making £630m from these fees, making up a quarter of their entire dentistry budget. But health chiefs have now started warning they will not make enough, leading to cuts in budgets. Summary by Keep our NHS Public of BBC Online 31 January 2007
• Patients face freeze on NHS dental care until April. Thousands of patients are likely to be refused dental treatment until the start of the new financial year in April due to a cash crisis in the health service. Dentists in England were given new contracts last year which mean they are paid an annual income for an agreed number of check-ups and treatments. Those who were heading to complete their quota ahead of schedule expected to be able to negotiate payment for extra work, but they are now being told that there is no more money in the budget. If they treat any more NHS patients before the end of March, they will not be paid, which means thousands might be turned away. The problem was exposed by Health Service Journal, which today publishes details of a Department of Health memo telling trusts to have "clear lines ready" to respond to media reports about the problem. The trusts should "ensure patients know how to access urgent care, and publicise spare capacity in other practices." Pressure on dental budgets was exacerbated by inaccurate forecasting by the department of the number of patients who would be exempt from charges. A memo leaked last week showed the government expected £630m in income from charges, but less money was coming in. Exempt patients include children and pregnant women, people on benefits, some war pensioners and some on low incomes. Under the contract, dentists provide an agreed number of "units of activity" (UDAs) at an agreed price over the year. A dentist earns one point for investigative work, three points for fillings and 12 points for treatment involving laboratory work. Peter Ward, chief executive of the British Dental Association, said: "Three quarters of dentists don't believe the UDA target reflects the amount of treatment they are able to give. John Carvel, social affairs editor Thursday February 8, 2007 The Guardian
• Government warns PCTs over dentistry capacity. Patients may have to resort to emergency care, or find an alternative practice, because their dentists have fulfilled their annual contracts too soon. The Department of Health has warned primary care trusts to have 'clear lines ready in case of media interest' if patients are left without a dentist in the closing weeks of the financial year. Under the terms of the new contracts, dentists agree to provide a number of 'units of dental activity' (UDAs) for a certain price over the course of the year. A DoH memo sets out how PCTs should deal with patients of dentists who complete their contracted work before the end of the financial year - and will not be paid for any more NHS work. The letter says PCTs must 'ensure patients know how to access urgent care, and publicise any spare capacity in other dental practices locally'. It also tells PCTs to be ready to respond to media reports about the problem, saying they should have 'clear lines ready in case of media interest'. British Dental Association chief executive Peter Ward said the dental contracts introduced last year had effectively introduced targets, which dentists would make sure they hit, rather than risk underperforming. This meant that some would finish their work earlier in the financial year than planned. 'What was initially meant to be a performance measure translated into a target when contracts were drawn up,' he said. Another problem with the NHS dental contract hit the headlines last month, when it was discovered that patients were being turned away from some dentists because of a shortfall in primary care trust dental budgets. Summary by Keep our NHS Public of Health Service Journal 8 February 2007
• Nice dentists, shame about the quotas. If you want to understand the muddle facing NHS dentistry across England, try paying a visit to a practice near the Clem Attlee housing estate in Fulham, west London. But don't necessarily expect to get treatment after the end of this month. NHS Dentist, an expanding practice on North End Road, is about to "overperform" on its contract - so there will be no more public money available to treat further patients until the new financial year.  John Carvel Wednesday February 21, 2007 The Guardian
• Dentists see 'million fewer people' on the NHS. The number of people using NHS dentists has dropped by 1.4m over the last 12 months following the introduction of controversial new contracts, the Conservative have claimed. The number of people using an NHS dentist has fallen from 24.7m to 23.3m as trusts battle to cope with a £124m black hole in their budgets. While Department of Health forecasts suggested that there would be 73.4m "units of dental activity" this year, a Tory survey shows the actual figure will be 69m. As a result, there has been a fall in the amount of money primary care trusts are receiving through patient charges. The survey shows they will receive £417m this year, at least £124m less than forecast. The results of the survey are the latest evidence of the growing problems in dentistry after 2,000 dentists left the NHS in protest at the new contracts. Summary by Keep our NHS Public of Telegraph 9 March 2007
• We use NHS dentists, ministers tell Brown. Senior Cabinet ministers have lined up to insist they used Health Service dentists after Gordon Brown was treated at a £100-an-hour private clinic. The Chancellor had root canal treatment at the London Centre for Cosmetic Dentistry last week. It is run by leading private dentist Mervyn Druian. The Tories challenged Mr Brown to improve access to NHS dentists for those who could not afford expensive private treatment. The Chancellor's aides dismissed claims that he had undermined his opposition to private medicine, insisting using a private dentist was not the same as using a private doctor. But Mr Brown was embarrassed again as six Cabinet ministers - including Tony Blair - revealed that their teeth were looked after on the NHS. A spokesman for Mr Blair said: "I can confirm the Prime Minister uses an NHS dentist." A spokesman for Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain, who hopes to be Mr Brown's deputy when Mr Blair quits, said: "Peter always had an NHS dentist." Blairite party chairman Hazel Blears, another contender for Labour's deputy leadership, also favours NHS treatment. An aide to Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt said: "She has not used a private dentist since she has lived in the UK." Environment Secretary David Milliband - touted as a potential leadership challenger to Mr Brown - and the Leader of the Lords, Baroness Amos, also confirmed they used NHS dentists. In 1999, Mr Blair pledged all patients would have access to NHS dentistry within two years. But only four in ten are currently on the books of an NHS dentist in England and Wales. Summary by Keep our NHS Public of Mail 12 March 2007
• Postcode lottery still exists in NHS dental care, Which? says. A postcode lottery still exists in NHS dental care, according to the consumer organisation Which?, with huge variations in the availability of dentists around the country. Fieldworkers posing as patients newly moved into an area contacted 466 dental practices across England - and only about a third (36%) said they were taking on new NHS patients. This is no significant improvement, says Which?, from 2005 when the figure was 31%. The findings are published a year after the government brought in new contracts for dentists that were intended to make NHS dentistry more available. The health minister Rosie Winterton said the Which? results were "deeply flawed" because they focused on the possibility of dentists taking on new patients, without looking at how many patients they were already treating on the NHS. According to Which?, the best chance of getting an NHS dentist was in London (51%) and the West Midlands (63%). In some parts of the country, NHS dentistry was available to very few newcomers - 13% in the north-west of England, 15% in Yorkshire and Humberside and 16% in south-central England. Sarah Boseley, health editor Monday March 26, 2007 The Guardian.  [This accords with my experience. See Dentistry]
• NHS dentist reforms have failed, says survey. The government's reforms of NHS dentistry have failed to improve the scope and quality of the service, according to two surveys today. A year after the introduction of a new dental contract there is still "huge inequality in access to NHS dentistry", with no change in the number of people receiving treatment, according to the Citizens Advice, the umbrella group for Citizens Advice Bureaux. It estimated that nearly 2 million people were unable to get treatment. Two thirds of the 4,000 people polled in England and Wales said they ended up going without treatment due to "huge problems accessing NHS dentistry and not being able to pay for private treatment". More than three quarters of the respondents to the survey, called Gaps to Fill, said they were unable to get treatment because none of their local dentists were accepting NHS patients. Some patients said they were forced to do round trips as long as 120 miles to reach an NHS dentist. The British Dental Association (BDA) also criticised the government's reforms, backing the CAB's findings that the new dental contract has failed to improve access to NHS treatment. Its research found that 85% of 394 dentists surveyed believe the new contract has not improved patient access to NHS dentistry. Furthermore, 95% of dentists questioned felt less confident about the future of NHS dentistry than they did two years ago. Citizens Advice called on ministers to take urgent action to deal with "dentistry deserts" in some parts of England and Wales. The charity said there was a postcode lottery of NHS dental care with some areas, such as Hartlepool and Hornchurch, "spoilt for choice" and others, including Blackburn and Petersfield, having "very poor access". David Batty and agencies Wednesday March 28, 2007 Guardian Unlimited
• Government's solution to NHS dentistry crisis: more plaque. Ministers are preparing to unveil a secret weapon in their campaign to woo dentists back to work for the NHS in England. Every practice that is able to provide a quality service and show commitment to the NHS is to be given something money cannot buy. A new kind of plaque. Department of Health officials are convinced that dentists would treasure the opportunity to brand their premises with the NHS logo - one of the most recognised symbols in the land. Those treating a high proportion of NHS patients will be allowed to screw the NHS plaque to the front door of their surgeries and use the brand to add extra professional kudos to their letterheads. As a badge of quality, the logo may also serve as an advertisement to private patients, who pay higher fees for fillings and extractions. Dentists, who spend their lives in a constant struggle against another sort of plaque, have spent the week berating the government for the failure of a policy that was meant to provide a better service to more patients. John Carvel, social affairs editor Saturday March 31, 2007 The Guardian
• New dental contract led to £55m shortfall, say Lib Dems. Health trusts have been left more than £55m out of pocket by a new dental contract introduced a year ago, the Liberal Democrats have claimed. More than three quarters of primary care trusts had received less money than they were expecting under the new system, according to research by the party. Some 78% of respondents reported a shortage in revenue from patient charges. Paul Owen and agencies Monday April 2, 2007 Guardian Unlimited
• Dentists refuse to treat bad teeth. Dentists on the National Health Service are turning away people with bad teeth because they say they are only paid enough to treat patients with a good dental health record. One surgery admitted that people who have not had a dental appointment for three years will be refused treatment. Others are employing more subtle methods to reject patients. Dentists' leaders say the NHS dental contract, introduced in April last year, has had a perverse effect because dentists earn the same for giving a patient one filling or 10. According to dentists' leaders, potentially unprofitable patients are screened out by giving preference to those patients who have recently been dropped by an NHS practice which has gone private. This sort of patient is likely to have had recent and regular treatment and therefore is unlikely to need extensive new surgery. Dentists will also take on the relatives of existing patients with healthy teeth in the expectation that family members will need little treatment as well. Summary by Keep our NHS Public of Times 27 May 2007
• Charges blunder may hit services. Ministers were accused of "serial incompetence" over a blunder in calculating new dental charges which has left the NHS facing a massive multi-million pound shortfall - prompting fears services could be cut. Figures suggest health chiefs in the region were as much as £15m out of pocket in 2006-7 due to an error by the Department of Health in calculating earnings from new fees paid by patients. The Yorkshire deficit would translate to a shortfall of more than £130m nationwide. The miscalculation comes on top of the new GP contracts costing £300m more each year than expected, the pay deal for hospital consultants which is £90m overspent, and a deal for other health workers which is racking up extra annual costs of £220m. NHS primary care trusts (PCTs) have been told they will get no extra cash to cover the deficit leading to concern dental services face being scaled back despite the plight of thousands of patients in the region still without an NHS dentist. Summary by Keep our NHS Public of Yorkshire Post 6 July 2007
• Targets could see dentists quit the NHS. The "treadmill" of government targets is prompting more dentists in Norfolk to ponder quitting the NHS, health chiefs were warned. Nick Stolls, secretary of the Norfolk Local Dental Committee, said the profession's disenchantment with state-run dentistry was growing because dentists were being stopped from doing more preventative work. The new regime of targets also failed to recognise their efforts if they do more work than expected. Summary by Keep our NHS Public of Eastern Daily Press 13 July 2007
• Wait is over for orthodontic patients. Patients in north Yorkshire who have had their orthodontic treatment delayed for months are finally being seen. The cash-strapped North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) imposed restrictions on orthodontic treatment and oral surgery in March, insisting that patients needing surgery such as wisdom tooth extraction or orthodontic treatment would have to be assessed by a primary care trust 'exceptions' panel first. More than 800 people have had their cases sent to the PCT since then, resulting in a wait running into months for many patients. Dr Jay Kindelan, lead clinician in orthodontics at York Hospital, said four of his clinics in Harrogate had been virtually empty of new patients over the last few months. But now nearly 60 patients have suddenly been sent to the hospital and he was having to lay on extra clinics to cope with the rapid workload. Some of the patients have been waiting for ten or 11 weeks to be referred. Mr Kindelan said: 'I think the PCT should go back to a direct referral from the dentist to a hospital consultant. This bureaucratic process is just holding patients up, and, in a lot of cases, inappropriately denying them access to our services.' Summary by Keep our NHS Public of Dentistry.co.uk 23 July 2007
• Practice 'too small' to win NHS contract. Dentist Mavid Mirgati has been told he cannot treat NHS patients at his new surgery. Gloucestershire NHS Primary Care Trust has turned down his application for the contract. "When I asked if I could take over the NHS contract that exists for up to 500 patients here, I was told that they do not want small contracts, only big ones like an NHS practice being opened in Tewkesbury. But that's miles away from Newent." Forest MP Mark Harper is challenging the PCT to explain itself. "NHS dental treatment is a real problem in the Forest," said Mr Harper. "An investigation has shown that there are no NHS places left. I've already written to the primary care trust to challenge them on this. It seems extraordinary that when a new Newent dentist is prepared to take on NHS patients he is encouraged not to by the primary care trust." Summary by Keep our NHS Public of Gloucestershire Citizen 27 July 2007
• NHS dentistry expansion falters. The government's scheme to expand NHS dentistry led to fewer patients being treated by fewer dentists in the first year of operation, official figures revealed yesterday. Ministers had expected local NHS commissioners to buy extra capacity to make it easier for people to register for regular dental treatment. Dentists were put on a new contract that was supposed to let them escape the "drill and fill" treadmill and provide time for preventive work. But the Department of Health acknowledged that the reform did not bring quick benefits. It said 28.1 million people went to an NHS dentist in England in the year to March - 50,000 fewer than in the previous 12 months. And the number of NHS dentists fell from 21,111 to 21,038. John Carvel, social affairs editor Wednesday August 8, 2007 The Guardian
• The new NHS system has left dentists unhappy, and patients fed up. The focus is now on clinical necessity, with no time to consider psychological needs, says Ogoamaka Eze. Your article stated that official figures revealed "the government's scheme to expand NHS dentistry led to fewer patients being treated by fewer dentists in the first year of operation" (NHS dentistry expansion falters, August 8). In other words, since the new NHS dental contract was introduced, many dentists have left the NHS, and fewer patients are going to NHS practices. So clearly both dentists and patients are unhappy with this change. There is an undeniable problem with the new system, which the health minister Ann Keen claims "helped the NHS create services". Having had first-hand experience as a dentist in both the old NHS and now the new, I am all too aware of the low morale among dentists, and the negative attitudes among patients, towards new NHS dentistry. Dentists feel they are unable to provide ideal care for their patients because of new constraints and red tape, and that patient care has been compromised. The government seems to want dentists to focus on preventative advice and only offer treatment that is of clinical necessity, with little focus on cosmetics and patients' psychological needs. But if its main objective is to "buy extra capacity to make it easier for people to register for regular dental treatment", as your report states, then why not just open more NHS dental practices in the areas they are needed? Why change the whole dental contract? As an occasional NHS dentist, I hear patients complaining that they have to wait weeks for an appointment. Then when they are eventually seen, more dental problems may have arisen, all of which cannot be addressed in one session. So more appointments have to be booked and further problems arise. Is it any wonder patients are so fed up? As Liz Phelps from Citizens Advice explained: "There are still 2 million people trying to get NHS dental treatment who can't find a dentist." Thursday August 16, 2007 The Guardian
• Dentist stopped from treating NHS patients. Dentist Mo Mohseni has spoken of his distress at having to turn away NHS patients because he has been told there is not enough money to fund them. Dr Mohseni, who has been operating in Pewsey for the last six months after working all over Britain, applied to register with the NHS after his predecessor at Pewsey Dental Practice withdrew. He was shocked to be told by Wiltshire Primary Care Trust that there was no funding to support an NHS practice. The nearest NHS practice with vacancies is nearly 20 miles away in Swindon. Pewsey Community Area Health and Social Care Forum has taken up Dr Mohseni's case and has written to the PCT. Forum chairman Coun Anne Hayhoe said: "The health forum has always been led to believe that the current lack of an NHS dentist anywhere in the Pewsey community area is due to a national shortage of dentists willing to enter into the NHS contract, and not the lack of funding. The lack of local access to an NHS dentist over a long period of time is resulting in patients suffering from a lack of preventative care." Summary by Keep our NHS Public of Wiltshire Gazette & Herald 17 August 2007
• Scrap dental check-up charges, say Lib Dems. Liberal Democrat proposals to scrap charges for NHS dental check-ups were backed by party delegates today. It was among a package of measures designed to increase the availability of NHS dentists in England as activists at the party's conference called for "urgent action to enable dentists to take on more NHS work". Press Association Monday September 17, 2007 Guardian Unlimited
• Last year 20,000 Britons went abroad for dental treatment. Lisa Bachelor finds out the drill. Property investors and skiers have long known about the advantages of a trip to Eastern Europe, but growing numbers of Britons are now jetting off to the likes of Hungary, Poland and Bulgaria to cut the cost of their dental bills. Fifty thousand people in the UK travelled abroad for medical treatment last year and 20,000 of these did so for the sake of their teeth. The average spend on dentistry was £2,500, according to website Treatmentabroad, which surveyed 300 clinics, medical tourism companies, hospitals, doctors, dentists and healthcare providers overseas that are promoting their services to the UK market. Cost is the biggest factor driving people overseas - savings of more than 80 per cent can be made on some forms of treatment - but the rise in dental tourists has also been due to changes in the NHS in the past year. 'The biggest growth in dental tourism appears to have been fuelled by the changes to NHS dental contracts, especially for people who want more complex procedures carried out,' says Keith Pollard, spokesman for Treatmentabroad. 'They are either struggling to find a dentist to do it or when they do are being met with costs of £10,000 to £15,000 in some cases.' Sunday September 23, 2007 The Observer
• Boy's death highlights US health debate. George Bush is set to veto congressional health legislation that would extend health care to 4 million children, saying it goes beyond its remit of providing care for low-income families. The case was highlighted in February by the death of Deamonte Driver, a 12-year-old boy who died because his parents could not afford private dental care. One Thursday the boy complained of toothache, the following Saturday he had emergency surgery because an abscess had spread to his brain. He died a few weeks later. Deamonte's mother could not afford private health insurance and, although there is free Medicaid for the poorest, not all dentists or doctors accept it and Deamonte's mother could not afford to have his tooth removed. Some 45 million Americans are without health insurance, nine million of them children. Many consider the issue to be America's national scandal and Washington political opponents have come together on the issue with both Democrats and Republicans coming together to support a bill that would help fund insurance. The bill passed 67 - 29 in the Senate but did not achieve the two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives necessary to override the presidential veto. The proposed bill extends the State Children's Health Insurance Programme (Schip) that subsidises insurance for families who may not be the poorest, but who cannot afford private insurance. Supporters propose to pay for the bill by increasing tax on cigarettes. Mr Bush says the move goes against the principles of private health care and to provide care would create a disincentive for people to purchase care themselves. Mr Bush says he supports tax breaks for poorer families purchasing care and that the legislation "directs scarce funding to higher incomes at the expense of poor families". One Democratic Congressman, Elijah Cummings, from Maryland has gone further in proposing "Deamonte's Law" to ensure all children have access to dental care. "It's shocking, it's sad," Mr Cummings said of Deamonte's death. "It provides a wake-up call to us all that we have to do better." Summary by Keep our NHS Public of BBC 29 September 2007
• Patients pull own teeth as dental contract falters. Large numbers of people are going without dental treatment and some even report extracting their own teeth because they cannot find an NHS dentist in their area, a survey reveals today. The Dentistry Watch survey of more than 5,000 people, from the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health, found widespread unhappiness among both patients and dentists despite government reforms to increase the availability of NHS dentistry. More than three-quarters of those who have a private dentist consider they were forced into it because their own dentist went private or they could not find an NHS dentist. Just over 10% were not registered with a dentist at all. A third of those (35%) said there were no NHS dentists nearby, 22% said they did not know how to find one, 13% said they were on a waiting list and 30% said there were other reasons. But 6% of the respondents said they were self-treating, which often included pulling out their own troublesome teeth. "Fourteen teeth have had to be removed by myself using pliers," said one Lancashire respondent. "Have pulled teeth out before, easier than finding a dentist," said one in Hull. "Because I could not afford the treatment cost, I had to extract my own tooth on one occasion," said one in Harrow. "I took most of my teeth out in the shed with pliers. I have one to go," said another in Wiltshire. Some of the respondents show considerable ingenuity. "Filled own teeth - clove oil and Polyfilla," said one in Essex. Another fixed a crown with Superglue and a third used a screwdriver to scrape off plaque. The survey was carried out by Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Forums around England. It was triggered by complaints received by PPIs following a new contract for dentists in April 2006, which was supposed to increase access and simplify the charges levied on NHS patients. Almost half the 5,212 respondents said they did not understand the charging system and 20% of those with NHS dentists went without treatment because of the cost. There are three treatment bands - £15.90 for a basic examination and x-rays, £43.60 if treatment such as root canals is also carried out and £194 if construction work such as crowns is included. In August the Department of Health announced a drop of 50,000 in the numbers attending an NHS dentist, to 28 million. It also said there had been a shortfall in the expected revenue of £159m as a result. Most (84%) of the 750 dentists surveyed said the contract had not made it easier for patients to get NHS treatment and 45% said their practice was not taking new NHS patients. A majority (68%) had either reduced or kept the same number of NHS patients as the year before. Fixed charging bands meant dentists were better off if they treated people who needed less work, they said. "If one orange costs 10p, then 10 oranges cost £1. BUT if one filling costs £43.60, ten fillings cost £43.69. RUBBISH," wrote one dentist in Sheffield. "There is no incentive in the contract to take on new patients who often have high needs. I feel the contract discriminates against people who probably need me most," wrote another. Norman Lamb, Liberal Democrat health spokesman, said: "Eight years after Labour promised that everyone would have access to an NHS dentist, this survey shows the system is at breaking point." Sarah Boseley, health editor Monday October 15, 2007 Guardian
• This crisis needs more than pliers and Polyfilla. The parlous state of NHS dentistry points to a wider malaise that could play into Tory hands. Nick Cohen Sunday October 21, 2007 The Observer
• Teething problems. A recent report on the state of NHS dentistry read like a medieval horror story with its tales of people pulling out their own teeth with pliers and filling cavities with Polyfilla. The Dentistry Watch survey found patients were turning to often macabre self-treatment because they couldn't find or see an NHS dentist in their area. London has more NHS dentists than anywhere else in the country but a report published yesterday reveals that fewer people in the capital are visiting them. Like the earlier national report, the London Assembly survey placed much of the blame for worsening dental health on the government's NHS reforms. The contract for dentists in April 2006 was supposed to increase access and simplify the charges levied on NHS patients, but Londoners are more confused about the costs of care and whether they are eligible for free care. The report found the contract has discouraged many from seeing a dentist regularly and significantly increased the cost of some treatments. Furthermore, flaws in the contract and NHS funding meant that some dentists had to close their doors to new patients until the next financial year when more money became available. David Batty Guardian 2 November 2007
• 250,000 lose NHS dentist under new contracts. About 250,000 people have lost their National Health Service dentist since the reform of the system, new figures show. In the two years to June 2007, 27.89m people were treated on the NHS compared with 28.15m in the two years running up to the new dental contract which was introduced in March 2006. Under the new contract 266,000 fewer people had dental treatment on the NHS than under the previous system, figures from the Department of Health information centre have shown. Under the new system the payment structure was simplified into three bands and dentists were given targets on the amount of treatment they should carry out in a year. Dentists warned it would put them on a treadmill and instead of allowing them to spend more time on preventative work they would end up rushing through as many patients as possible in order to hit targets. Many dentists chose to leave the NHS in the run-up to the new contract coming into effect. Some dentists were given unattainable targets and are now having to pay back vast sums of money to primary care trusts. Others hit their targets too early in the year and as they would not be paid for carrying out more work than contracted for, they had to stop treating patients. David Batty Telegraph 29 November 2007

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Sheila Porter-Williams
Campaign for Health Service Democracy
Green Haven, Halfway Lane
Dunchurch
Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 6RD
sheilaCHSD@porter-williams.freeserve.co.uk