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DH failing to improve dental services: MPs

02/07/2008

A report by MPs today has claimed that the Department of Health (DoH) is failing to improve dental services.

The Commons' health committee claims that despite assertions from the chief dental officer (CDO) that improvements would soon be seen, access to dentistry "remains uneven" across the country.

Today's report says that new arrangements have failed to improve patient access overall.

MPs also describe the fact that the new remuneration system for dentists was not piloted or tested before its introduction in 2006 as "extraordinary".

Too many primary care trusts (PCTs) have set unrealistic Units of Dental Activity (UDA) targets, the report adds.

In April 2006, the DoH reformed the General Dental Service (GDS) with a number of far-reaching changes. PCTs were given more power to commission dental services, a the patient charging system was simplified and dentists were remunerated according to the number of UDA completed.

MPs today claimed the changes have failed to improve dental services.

Dentists are reportedly concerned of an "exodus" from the GDS in 2009 once guaranteed income ends and the committee urged the DoH to monitor the career plans of NHS dentists.

Health committee chairman Kevin Barron said: "It is disappointing that so far the new dental contract has failed to improve the patient's experience of dental services. While we readily accept that in some areas of the country provision of NHS dentistry is good, overall provision is patchy.

"Fewer patients are visiting an NHS dentist than before the contracts were introduced in April 2006, we heard little evidence that preventive care has increased, and patients seem less likely to receive complex treatments they might require within the NHS," he added.

"The department did not test through a pilot the new remuneration system and we were astonished that in such a crucial area of reform the department chose not to undertake rigorous testing prior to its introduction.

"It is vital that PCTs take a lead role in commissioning – we agree that this is a positive move – but PCTs must prove they are up to the challenge and Strategic Health Authorities must place greater importance on their role in managing PCTs' performance."

In response, a DoH spokesperson said: "We will carefully consider the committee's recommendations and respond formally to them. We have invested over £200 million in NHS dentistry this year, over and above increases in the last three years. This takes our total investment to over £2 billion.

"The focus and funding is already starting to show results - patients are starting to see the benefits with new NHS practices opening all over the country, and we are working with the NHS to ensure that, as the committee recommends, the quality of dental commissioning by PCTs improves.

"It takes time for the extra services now being commissioned to feed through into the access figures that currently do not provide an up to date picture. More and more patients are benefiting from increases in services and we are confident that this will start to show through in the figures later this year."