Dental experts have spoken out against ‘the perversity of the broken contract’ as a BBC investigation said the £900 million of clawback was because ‘dentists instead prioritise private work’.
The BBC found that one pound in every seven that NHS dentists were paid over the past two years was returned as clawback, amounting to a total of £900 million. It said that these findings ‘explain why despite record sums being set aside for NHS dentistry, so many patients are struggling to get [a dental appointment]’.
Clawback levels peaked in 2024 at £479 million, reducing slightly to £457 million in 2025. The levels remain much higher than previous levels, which stood at £169 million in 2021 and £139 million in 2020.
The British Dental Association (BDA) stressed that the returned budget was due to ‘the broken contract dentists are working within’. It said: ‘These unused funds have long been the traditional excuse from successive governments for not funding NHS dentistry appropriately. This clawback is the result of chronic underfunding, with dentists now losing money delivering NHS care, and unable to fill vacancies.’
Where does the money returned through clawback go?
In addition to its criticism, the BDA commended the fact that the unused dental budget resulting from clawback is now being invested into recovery programmes.
The association urged the government to come to a sustainable funding settlement that ‘covers dentists costs and addresses sizeable unmet need for NHS care’. Without this, it said ‘pledged reform of the NHS contract may be doomed from the outset’.
BDA chair Eddie Crouch said: ‘The fact dentists couldn’t even spend their budget has always been cited by ministers as the reason they won’t invest in dentistry. This was never about lack of demand. It was about underfunded practices struggling to meet punishing targets and fill vacancies.
‘It’s the simple fact we now have dentists losing money delivering NHS care. It might suit the treasury, but no healthcare professional can be expected to work this way. These underspends have all but vanished, but the access crisis is still with us. The last excuse for austerity in NHS dentistry has left the building.’
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