Business rates, PPE and key worker status – dentists call on government support

With practices given the green light for resuming services on 28 May, Mick Armstrong, chair of the BDA, has written an open letter to health secretary, Matt Hancock, calling for urgent support to 'keep the service afloat and avert a likely collapse in patient access' with few practices opening their doors, and those that do operating at a fraction of their pre-pandemic capacity.

In the letter, published today, the BDA is calling on the health secretary to 'address what has become an existential crisis for dentistry':

Ares of concern include:

Key worker status – clarification that the list on the government web page includes dentists and dental team members to prevent colleagues being turned away by both schools and nurseries. Mick Armstrong writes: 'Our members require access to childcare, and this will continue to hit parents in those years where schools have not yet reopened. This simple change to the wording could be made today, carries no costs, and would reflect assurances we have been given from NHS England from the outset.'