Dentists are going private because the NHS contract is “not fit for purpose”, a health official has admitted.
Members of Lincolnshire County Council’s health scrutiny committee were told that the NHS dentist contract doesn’t “favour people to work there”, writes local democracy reporter Oliver Castle.
At a meeting on Wednesday, December 17, Kenny Hume, local dental network chair – said that the government is considering “tie ins” which would require newly qualified dentists to work in the NHS for a set period of time before they are allowed to go private.
But Mr Hume warned that this would not solve the problem of people struggling to access an NHS dentist.
He added: “But from a public perception, we understand this. Taxpayers’ money is going to train dentists and then they end up qualifying and work privately.
“But you’ve then got to question, why they do that and why they do that is because the current NHS contract is not fit for purpose and has not been fit for purpose for 20 years.
“We’re in this situation for a reason and if the NHS contract favoured people to work there then we wouldn’t have this problem.”
Coun Robert Kendrick asked whether people are still being recommended to go to see a dentist every six months.
Mr Hume said that the National Institute for Health Care and Excellence (NICE) is looking at whether everyone needs to go twice a year or whether people with specific needs should be prioritised.
He added: “The six-monthly check-up was always the standard, if you know what I mean.
“Really what we have now is a situation where some patients are at risk who can be seen three-monthly if they’ve got periodontal disease – and it’s back to the link about periodontal disease and general health.
“There are some patients that need to be seen far less regularly. They’ve gone through, they’ve had orthodontic treatment, they’re in their early 20s, they’ve never had a filling.
“Six months is probably not advisable for them.”
A government minister recently suggested some people could go to the dentist every two years.
Mr Hume added: “Two years for certain people is acceptable but two years for someone who might be a smoker, someone who might have periodontal disease. That might act as a risk factor that just isn’t applicable really.
“We are trying to move away from the standard – every single person has six monthly check-ups. We are moving away from that.”
