Future of NHS dentistry

Nearly four years after piloting began, and almost six years since Professor Jimmy Steele published his response to criticism of the ill-fated (but now long endured) 2006 contract, it is questionable how much progress is being made.

Roger Matthews, Chief Dental Officer at Denplan, commented:

 “At a time when the parlous state of  current and future NHS resource is under daily scrutiny dentists may wonder why it has taken nearly nine years to arrive at a point where yet further experiment is announced.

“Steele stated that his review offered a “firm basis” for future policy, but the prototypes are a long way from what he envisaged. The delay has accompanied many changes in the wider NHS, increasing frustration for the dental profession, and most importantly, little clarity for patients about what NHS dentistry offers and how to find it.

“The call for expressions of interest offers little choice in reality:  one alternative is almost the same as the current system, whilst the other is at best a watered-down version of Steele’s proposals.