A pay uplift of 4.64% for NHS dentists in England has been confirmed, as experts warn that this represents a ‘pay cut’ in real terms.
This is despite the recommendation of a 6% increase by the Doctors and Dentists Review Body last year. The pay rise will be backdated to April 2024.
The British Dental Association (BDA) said this would amount to a ‘significant funding cut’ as rising costs had not been accounted for. The association described the 1.68% allocated to practice expenses as ‘inadequate’ when compared to an estimated 9.2% dental inflation rate. Utilities were estimated to have increased by 10% since last year, with laboratory and staffing costs also rising by 16.5% and 15% respectively.
This week, a petition with more than 250,000 signatures called for reform of NHS dentistry. Health secretary Wes Streeting pledged to improve dental access, telling MPs: ‘NHS dentistry is at death’s door.’
Shawn Charlwood, chair of the BDA’s General Dental Practice Committee, said: ‘Wes Streeting recognised NHS dentistry is at death’s door. Handing dentists a pay cut after record breaking delays won’t change that prognosis. These cuts will come at a high price in goodwill that is now in short supply.’
‘Short-sighted approach’
The BDA added: ‘This short-sighted approach will only accelerate the exodus from NHS dentistry. Many providers are already delivering NHS care at a financial loss, having to cross-subsidise loss-making NHS activity with private work. Further pressure will come in April via the huge increases in overheads delivered by the recent budget. There is still no clarity on what mitigations will be offered.’
In December, a group of professional bodies called for exemptions from national insurance increases announced as part of October’s budget for primary care services including dentistry. Employer contributions for national insurance will increase from 13.8% to 15% as a result of the changes.
Iain Stevenson, head of dental at Wesleyan Financial Services, criticised the increase. He said: ‘As well as hitting their take-home pay, it will cut into practice profits – making it even harder for dentists to invest in their facilities and teams.’
Vinay Rathod, founder of VR Financial Solutions, said this would have knock-on effects for associate dentists as well as practices owners. He said: ‘If practice owners make less profit, it makes it more difficult for them to be generous with associate splits. So, it does have a knock-on effect down the line to associates too.
‘If the owners of businesses are making less profit, they can pay the associates less generously, or they have to slow down any potential growth.’
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