Overview
The new regulations set to come into force on 1 April 2026 amend The National Health Services (General Dental Service Contract) Regulations 2005, and The National Health Services (Personal Dental Services Agreements) Regulations 2006. The amendments will automatically change the terms of the NHS dental contracts in England, so you will need to be aware of what is different and how it might affect your day-to-day work.
The reforms primarily focus on unscheduled care and prevention. Some changes will come into force from April 2026, including the new definition of unscheduled care. This change makes it clearer how patients with sudden dental problems should be treated, expanding on the current service provision of urgent care. The definition of a course of treatment (CoT) will also be adjusted to reflect this, and other changes.
Dental nurses will also be offered the opportunity to apply fluoride varnish as a separate CoT which is a practical step that follows logically from the introduction of direct claiming by other Dental Care Professionals (DCPs). This will help many practices to deliver their contractual requirements effectively and fulfil preventative aims.
An appraisal system is being introduced which should go some way to help keep standards consistent across NHS dental service providers and will also give employed dental teams a chance to reflect on their practice.
From June 2026, the introduction of care packages is expected to help fund complex care for high needs patients more fully and fairly, as well as alter the procedures for charging around work involving dentures. Both changes should pay dentists more appropriately for the work involved in providing this treatment to patients.
It is important that all dentists understand these changes, even where they do not directly relate to your practice, as they will impact the way in which contracts are delivered, and the way that remuneration is logged for this activity. Being prepared ahead of the changes coming into force should help things run more smoothly for your practice and also ensure that patients can access the care they need more effectively.
