Summary
Dentists in England have returned over £900 million to the government for not providing agreed NHS dental care, as many prioritize private work. The NHS reclaims funds if dental practices do not meet their contracted services, which has left many people struggling to find NHS dental appointments. The government claims improvements are being made and the returned money is reinvested into services.
Key Facts
- Dentists in England returned over £900 million to the government in the past two years for not meeting NHS work commitments.
- More than 20% of people report difficulties accessing NHS dental care.
- If a dental practice provides less than 96% of contracted NHS services, the government reclaims some payments.
- Around 40% of dentists had to return payments in recent years, which has increased compared to the past.
- The Competition and Markets Authority is investigating the private dentistry market and fees.
- There are reports of long waiting times for NHS dental appointments, with some people resorting to private care.
- The current NHS dental contract, established 20 years ago, is seen as unprofitable, causing more dentists to move to private practice.
- The government has increased payment incentives and introduced measures to improve service access.
