The dental recovery plan will fail to reach target of 1.5 million additional NHS dental treatments by March 2025, says new research, as delivery of NHS dentistry continues to sit below pre-pandemic levels.
According to a new report from the National Audit Office (NAO), even if the target was reached it would still be 2.6 million fewer treatments per year than pre-pandemic levels.
The dental recovery plan was launched in February 2024 by the previous Conservative government in a bid to improve access to NHS dentistry.
Access to NHS dentistry remains below pre-pandemic levels. Only 40% of adults are recorded as having seen an NHS dentist in the 24 months up to March 2024. This compares to 49% in the 24 months prior to the start of the pandemic.
The report also reveals that, based on NHS England (NHSE) analysis to date, fewer new patients have received treatment each month since the plan’s implementation, compared to the same period in the previous year.
Dental recovery plan failing to deliver
Additionally, the ‘golden hello’ incentive of £20,000 to place dentists into specific areas of the country has not yet contributed to the treatment target. While 274 practices have had their application approved to recruit a ‘golden hello’ post, according to NAO, the first dentist was not appointed until October this year.
Another dental recovery plan initiative was the use of mobile dental vans. These were aimed at delivering some dental services to targeted communities. This has also not been rolled out, with no vans having been procured. Any further progress is paused when the general election was called. New ministers stated this month that it will be left for integrated care boards (ICBs) locally to decide whether they go ahead with procuring vans during the remainder of 2024-25.
DHSC and NHSE assumed that dental vans and ‘golden hello’ payments would deliver around 60% of their full year possible delivery of treatments due to the lead-in time for their implementation.This amounts to 280,000 courses of treatment and 30,000 courses of treatment, respectively.
The planned delivery would have required the initiatives to be fully operational by September 2024, which has not been achieved. These initiatives have also delivered no additional courses of treatment.
Dental profession reacts
Dr Nigel Carter is CEO of the Oral Health Foundation. He said: ‘This report lays bare the stark failings of NHS dentistry – failings that have denied millions of people their right to timely, quality care.
‘Access to NHS dental services has plummeted, with rural and underserved communities hit hardest, leaving patients to suffer from preventable oral health issues. This is not only a crisis for patients but also for dental professionals, who are overworked, undervalued, and facing unprecedented pressure, with many leaving the NHS for better opportunities.
‘The Department of Health and Social Care, along with NHS England, must be completely transparent about their true plans for NHS dentistry and the funding required to implement them.
‘Time for complacency has passed’
‘The public has a right to know what the government’s strategy is and how much money they are willing to invest to address this crisis. While there are potential solutions – including a new NHS dental contract focusing on prevention and capitation – no measures can hope to be effective without real, meaningful investment and clear, achievable targets.
‘The time for complacency has passed. The government must act urgently to ensure that everyone who needs dental care can access it in a timely manner, and that dental professionals are supported and valued. The current plan is insufficient, and the government must provide clarity and urgency in their approach.
‘Without decisive action, the gap between what is promised and what is delivered will continue to grow, and the public, NHS workers and the system as a whole will bear the consequences.
‘The question is no longer whether NHS dentistry can be saved. But whether the government has the will to make it a true priority before it’s too late.’
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