BigPicture
BIG PICTURE
NHS dentists hand back unspent £150m to government
Image: Getty
WHAT?
NHS dentists in England were forced to return £147m of government funding last year after failing to meet their treatment targets, according to the Financial Times.
WHY?
The underspend is the result of a ‘broken’ NHS dental contract system that forces dentists into private practice at a time of severe staffing shortages and long waiting lists.
HOW?
Under NHS contract terms, dentists are paid a set income to deliver a certain number of ‘units of dental activity’ (UDAs), or treatments, each year. According to this system, both simple and complex procedures are remunerated at the same rate, leaving practices struggling to cover their costs.
96%
Practices are usually required to return government money if they fail to deliver 96% of their UDA target. This was lowered to 90% to reflect the financial pressure facing dentists. Source: NHS
24.8
The average hours spent each week treating NHS patients in England in 2022/23, down from 27.3 hours in 2018/19. Source: NHS
£20k
Value of ‘golden hellos’ being offered to dentists who work in underserved areas of the country. Source: UK Government
