Overview
From 1 April 2026, new regulations will change the NHS dental contract framework in England. These amendments update the General Dental Services and Personal Dental Services regulations, and the changes will automatically become part of every NHS dental contract held by practices. As an associate, it is important to understand what is new, as some of these updates may influence how you deliver care.
The reforms focus mainly on unscheduled care and prevention. A new definition of unscheduled care will apply from April 2026. This aims to clarify how patients with dental concerns should be managed, expanding on the current “urgent care” arrangements.
Another practical change is that dental nurses will be able to apply fluoride varnish as a standalone CoT, in line with direct claiming rights for other Dental Care Professionals (DCPs). This should help practices meet their preventive obligations more effectively and may influence how preventive care is organised within the wider practice environment.
A new appraisal system will also be introduced. Its aim is to support consistency across NHS dental providers and to give self-employed team members an opportunity for structured professional reflection.
From June 2026, the introduction of care packages is expected to support more appropriate funding for patients with high and complex needs. There will also be updates to how work involving dentures is charged. Both changes are intended to ensure you are paid more fairly for the time and complexity involved.
Even if some aspects of the reforms do not apply directly to your own work, it is important to understand the overall changes, as they will affect how practices deliver their NHS contracts. Being aware of what is coming will help you ensure that your patients continue to access the care they need.
Annual appraisal system
Contractual payments will be made for the conduct of annual appraisals, and these will be funded at £213 per clinician (dentists, therapists, and hygienists). These payments will be converted to the contractor’s nominal UDA value.
What you should know
There is currently no centralised form for this process. We are in the process of producing resources for your practice to use.
In most associate agreements this will be paid in line with UDAs in your agreement. If you have any concerns, check your contract and if these persist Extra and Expert members can speak with our advice team.
Criteria changes for NHS benefits
From June, you will be eligible for NHS payments under the statement of financial entitlements after two years of continuous NHS service, not necessarily requiring you to be on the NHS performers list for those two years. We expect to have more detail on this shortly.