The government has announced a £485 million budget uplift for GPs, leading experts to question why funding for dentistry has remained static for so long.
The British Dental Association (BDA) said that NHS dentistry has operated with a flat budget for a generation, with government contributions in 2023/24 lower than in 2010/11.
Meanwhile, the £485 million pledged to underpin a new deal for GPs represents a real-terms increase in funding for the second year in a row. The BDA welcomed support for GPs, but emphasised that the government’s reforms to dentistry would need to be backed by significant investment.
It said: ‘Government’s stated commitment to “fix the front door of the NHS” and shift the focus of the NHS from “hospital to community” will be fatally undermined if it fails to be ambitious across primary care.’
‘A generation of savage cuts’ to dental funding
The association said that ‘chronic underfunding and a singular focus on urgent care’ would leave NHS dentistry an emergency service instead of a comprehensive dental care system.
Shiv Pabary, chair of the BDA General Dental Practice Committee, said: ‘The government says it’s fixing the NHS’s front door, but a generation of savage cuts has left one part of it hanging off its hinges.
‘Applying double standards to dentistry means promised reforms may well fail. Without needed investment we will continue to see practices struggling to remain viable, and millions unable to access the care they need.’
In addition to the £485 million of additional funding, GPs are set to receive a further £300 million redirected from public care networks to fund recruitment at practice level.
Follow Dentistry on Instagram to keep up with all the latest dental news and trends.
