Contract reform

The problem

Discredited contracts are fuelling an exodus from the NHS. Dentists are on a treadmill. The payments they receive often bears little relation to the work they do, and some treatments can be delivered at a financial loss. These systems fail high needs patients, who require and deserve more time in the chair.

The solution

We've seen tweaks to failed systems. What's required is fundamental reform and sustainable funding alongside a model of care that properly rewards dentists for prevention and supports work with the patients who need care the most.

Our impact

We lead the case for change on behalf of all dentists, in formal negotiations, and in our campaign work to fight for fair pay.

Dental Recovery Plan FAQs

We've put together some frequently asked questions for members, covering the new patient premium, new minimum UDA value, local recruitment incentives and more.

Browse FAQs

Latest news

Dental health crisis hitting women hardest

We're proud to join our friends from the National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI) in Westminster today for the launch of their latest campaign report, lifting the lid on how the access crisis is hitting women the hardest and deepening a uniquely gendered health crisis.

Why reform needs to keep pace with the costs of care

The Public Accounts Committee has published its new report ‘Fixing NHS dentistry’.

Dental public health plays a unique and vital role

Anna Hunt, new Chair of the Dental Public Health Committee, calls for the speciality, which is essential for the government’s prevention agenda, to be valued.

Welfare reform has pushed millions away from NHS dentistry

With up to half a million recipients of Tax Credit Certificates set to lose their access to free NHS dental care from April 6 we have interrogated official data, and found millions of patients have stopped accessing NHS dentistry since the transition to Universal Credit (UC), since transition began under the last government.

Wales: Question now is whether reforms can end crisis

The Welsh Government has now launched its consultation on reform of NHS dentistry, and we will be reaching out to dentists to get the clearest picture from our members.

“We’re not all in this together”: Treasury cuts leave £1.5bn hole in budget

Dental charges are set to rise again this April, so business as usual with more stealth cuts.

Honesty and transparency remain in short supply

We remain clear that honesty and transparency remain the bare minimum requirement from the Welsh Government, after a statement in the Senedd in which both were in short supply.

Dental public health – vital jobs left on the line

With NHSE set to be abolished, we're leading the defence of a vital dental public function and calling for funds to be put to work on the frontline

Updates to the Scottish Dental Access Initiative and Recruitment and Retention Allowance

The latest remuneration changes in Scotland.

Dentists: Skimping on urgent care is fuelling antibiotic resistance

In an open letter to Wes Streeting, we have warned that a failure to fully meet demand for urgent dental care will only increase the pressures on our health service, as antibiotics become a substitute for treatment.

Something to smile about: Supervised brushing rollout

We are now seeing the rollout of supervised brushing in early years settings in England. The policy, launching today, will target hundreds of thousands of 3–5-year-olds in the most deprived areas from April.

Government meeting less than 1/3 of unmet need for urgent care

Following a string of reports of DIY dentistry, and death – or near death – experiences from dental infections, we’ve found that government discovered demand for urgent care of 2.2 million but covered less than a third of it.   