Jul 17 2004
Health Secretary John Reid has set out plans to reform NHS dentistry and recruit an extra 1000 NHS Dentists by October next year.
In the biggest reform since the service began in 1948, an extra £368m will be spent to improve the long-term oral health of the nation.
Around 650 of the new dentists will be recruited by attracting dentists on career breaks back to the NHS and targeting dentists from overseas.
The Government will fund an additional 170 extra undergraduate dental training places in England from October 2005 - a 25 per cent increase. This will be supported by capital investment of £80m over four years. An extra £9m will be provided to help dental practices prepare for the changes.
Further reforms announced today to modernise the dentistry profession include:
- New measures to enable dentists to spend more time with patients and encourage preventative care
- Using the skills of the entire dental team more efficiently with new roles for hygienists and dental nurses
- Local Primary Care Trusts will use the £1.6bn devolved budget to ensure that local expenditure on dentistry is sustained
In a written House of Commons statement, Mr Reid said the measures represent an unprecedented level of commitment and investment in NHS dentistry.
"Dental services will be properly integrated with the rest of the NHS providing better access to services and an improved patient experience," he said.
Health Minister Rosie Winterton said:
"I'm confident that many dentists will want to take up the new contract because it removes them from a treatment and paperwork treadmill.
"We want to work with the dental profession to implement it and give all dentists the freedom from bureaucracy that the pilot sites have shown."