The Highlands has lost 31 NHS dentists over the last five years, the third highest fall in Scotland - but the Scottish Government says its reforms are working.
This week Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP accused the SNP Government of leaving NHS dentistry “to rot” after a probe by his party revealed the number of dentists providing NHS services has fallen from pre-pandemic numbers across most health boards.
A freedom of information request submitted to Public Health Scotland has revealed that, between 2019/20 and 2023/24, the number of dentists performing NHS work fell from 3,407 to 3,240, and that 11 health boards saw a reduction in the number of dentists carrying out NHS procedures.
The biggest decreases were in Lothian, 41 fewer dentists; Glasgow, 36 fewer dentists; Highland, 31 fewer dentists; and in Fife, 25 fewer dentists. The only health boards not to see a decrease were NHS Ayrshire & Arran, Shetland and Western Isles.
This month we reported that Mull and Oban Public Dental Service clinics are facing staffing constraints, which forced Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) to suspend routine care for adult patients - though emergency care services are carrying on.
Mr Cole-Hamilton said: “A concerning number of dentists are no longer offering NHS services because of the low rates they receive for that work and the endless barriers and red tape thrown in their way by SNP ministers.
“For years, the SNP has left NHS dentistry to rot. Many people are now resorting to drastic options, from DIY dentistry with tools purchased on Amazon to travelling back to war-torn Ukraine for treatment.
“Toothcare, just like any other form of healthcare, should be universally accessible - it cannot just be for those who can afford to go private."
In reaction, the British Dental Association (BDA) Scotland stressed this data "only begins to show the risks facing the service, as the data does not capture the mix of NHS and private work dentists undertake".
The professional body says the data gives no picture of the whole time equivalent NHS workforce and without that there is no scope for robust workforce planning.
"The broken high volume/low margin model high street NHS dentists work to proved unsustainable during COVID and while some amends to this system were rolled out in November, it remains to be seen if reforms are sufficient to give the service a sustainable future," said the BDA.
David McColl, chairman of the British Dental Association’s Scottish Dental Practice Committee, added: “For years, the broken system NHS dentistry works to has left dedicated colleagues looking to the exit.
“We’ve seen some reform, but time will tell if it’s enough to put a halt to this exodus. One point is abundantly clear. If this service is going to have a future there can be no complacency at Holyrood.”
We passed these concerns to the Minister for Public Health in charge of dentistry, Argyll and Bute’s SNP MSP Jenni Minto.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The number of dentists has been impacted by the unique challenges of the pandemic and Brexit but NHS Education for Scotland statistics showed an encouraging increase from 31 March 31 2023 to September 31 2023. This reflects the continued recovery in NHS dental services from the conclusion of the pandemic.
“We have introduced significant dental payment reforms to encourage more dentists to provide more NHS dentistry. In the first month following these changes, nearly 400,000 patients were seen by an NHS primary care dentist – an early indication that our reforms are working.
“While improving conditions for the existing workforce, we continue to work with counterparts across the UK and devolved governments to improve workforce pathways for international dentists.”
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