The British Dental Association (BDA) Northern Ireland has called for urgent reform and fair funding to secure the future of Northern Irish health service dentistry.
The BDA stated that it was compelled to warn against continued inaction from the Department of Health on financial and regulatory concerns in Northern Ireland.
Ciara Gallagher is is chair of the BDA’s Northern Ireland Dental Practice Committee. She said: ‘Dentists and their teams truly care about the service they provide. It’s time for the Department of Health to show that they do too. The time for talking is over. The time for reform is now.’
Highlighting the discontentment with NHS dentistry, the BDA cited statistics from its latest survey. These suggest that 41% of practice owners and 38% of associate dentists in Northern Ireland would like to leave NHS dentistry as soon as possible.
‘It is patients who will pay the price’
One of the key issues emphasised by the BDA was the fees that dentists receive for providing NHS care, which it considers to be ‘unviable’. It said: ‘This low margin/high volume model of care, together with mounting costs, have left many practices delivering some health service treatment at a loss.’
The professional body also discussed several factors it believes are worsening the financial position of those working in NHS dentistry. These included cuts to the 10% enhanced support awarded in June and a lack of any pay increase despite the recommendation of a 6% uplift in July.
The BDA said that it expects an accelerated exodus from the ‘shrinking’ health service if these conditions are not met.
Ciara Gallagher continued: ‘Our message to the political parties and the Secretary of State is clear. It’s make or break for health service dentistry in Northern Ireland. An essential service is shrinking through lack of funding, and it is patients who will pay the price.’
Peter May, Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health, stated that the department accepts the need to do things differently. Responding to the BDA’s comments, he said the department aims ‘to improve access for patients and ensure that the sector is sustainable in the longer term’.
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