The British Dental Association has roundly dismissed calls from the Policy Exchange, for a £150 voucher scheme to end the NHS dental crisis.
In 2023/24 government spend on NHS dentistry per capita in England was £37.19. The BDA say that funding such a voucher would require the government to more than triple the dental budget, which while welcome would not necessarily yield material gains in access via this model.
This move would in essence mean the end of NHS dentistry The vouchers would be redeemable at private practices where prices more realistically reflect the cost to provide care, meaning there is little prospect of this plan easing the access crisis. £150 would not even cover 10% of the estimated costs of a set of dentures in a private practice.
The professional body warn this approach is likely to be an extremely inefficient way of improving access for those who need it most. It would likely leave the most vulnerable unable to afford care, whilst subsidising those already paying for private dentistry.
The last Government considered this model under Minister Andrea Leadsom. The BDA stress fundamental reform of the NHS contract wedded to sustainable funding is the only plausible way forward.
BDA Chair Eddie Crouch said:
“Calls for a voucher system in NHS dentistry come with the sound of barrels being scraped.
“NHS desperately needs investment, but this policy would not end dental deserts. It could easily mean spending more money on less access.
“A struggling service urgently requires real reform and sustainable funding. We don’t need distractions, or detours into ideological comfort zones.”
ENDS