Dental experts have criticised prime minister Keir Starmer’s ‘plan for change’, which did not mention the government’s pledges for dentistry.
On 5 December, Keir Starmer made a speech laying out the plan for change. It included targets and timelines for many key manifesto pledges, but those about dentistry were not included.
Shawn Charlwood, chair of the British Dental Association’s (BDA) General Dental Practice Committee, said: ‘Past promises on NHS dentistry are nowhere to be seen in this ‘plan for change’.
‘This crisis requires an action plan and a clear timetable. Warm words won’t get millions the care they need.’
Of six new ‘milestones’ mentioned by the prime minister, only one related to the NHS – a vow to reduce medical waiting times in secondary care.
New government milestones
- Cutting NHS waiting lists, with 92% of patients to be seen in 18 weeks
- Higher living standards/more money for working people
- Building 1.5 million new homes and fast-tracking planning decisions
- Recruiting 13,000 more police officers, special constables and PCSOs
- Three quarters of five-year-olds ready to start school
- Increasing clean power to 95% by 2030.
Keir Starmer said: ‘I make no apologies for sticking to our plan and no apologies for fixing the eyes of Whitehall not on the distraction of Westminster but on the long-term good of our country.’
He said the milestones would create ‘accountability’ and ‘give the British people the power to hold our feet to the fire’.
What has the government promised for dentistry?
In its manifesto, the Labour Party proposed a ‘dentistry rescue plan’ to deliver 700,000 additional emergency dental appointments and recruit dentists in underserved areas. Supervised toothbrushing in schools and long-term contract reform were also pledged.
The BDA said there was no sign of the 700,000 appointments being delivered. It also highlighted that no timeline had been given for the implementation of supervised toothbrushing schemes.
The Labour government has also kept measures introduced in the previous term as part of the Conservatives’ dental recovery plan. These include £20,000 ‘golden hellos’ for dentists willing to relocate to areas with low NHS dental access. However, delays meant that the first dentists were not appointed in these positions until October.
In October 2024, a survey found morale among NHS dental staff to be low. Almost three quarters of NHS dentists and 65% of NHS dental nurses said they did not enjoy working within the health service.
Six in 10 (61%) were also considering doing less NHS work in the next two years, with 81% expecting to carry out more private work in the same period.
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