Seven day working

The Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, announced a six week negotiating period, which has been dubbed an unrealistic timeframe for such a drastic service re-design and a potential threat to patient care.

In his speech at the King’s Fund Hunt added: "Be in no doubt: if we can’t negotiate, we are ready to impose a new contract." The BDA has welcomed the DDRB report recommendation of the need for “employers and their consultant workforces to work together and agree the detail of any contractual change”.

Peter Dyer, Chair of the BDA’s Central Committee for Hospital Dental Services, stated:

“A slogan cannot be turned into a policy simply by repetition.

“In hospitals, we do not believe that credible evidence has been established about the pay implications of implementing seven day working, and how this will impact on consultants, and other dentists. Furthermore, no indication has been given as to how the rest of the NHS and wider social care provision will be reorganised to provide appropriate care and support for patients. For consultants to be asked to work and, for instance, to find themselves without access to specialised dental radiography, cannot be considered to be in the benefits of either consultants or patients.