The British Dental Association has warned parties that whoever forms the next government of Wales must act on voter concerns and ensure the survival of NHS dentistry, with the current chaos making the service a core doorstep issue in the coming election.
New polling from YouGov shows [1]:
- Dentistry is now a top tier doorstep issue in Wales (30% rank it as the most important issue) – ahead of crime (14%), education (14%) and even job opportunities (27%) as the most important issue in a local area.
• Taking into account all the different priorities facing the country, 79% of Welsh say the Welsh Government should be doing more on dentistry. Only 11% believe they are doing all they reasonably can.
• Estimated unmet need for NHS dentistry stands at 1/3 of the adult population, with 20% saying they were unable to secure an appointment in the last 2 years, and a further 13% having effectively given up trying, assuming they would be unable to get one.
• This makes Wales arguably the worst place in Britain to be an NHS dental patient. Recent polling places levels of unmet need in Scotland at 1 in 5 of Scotland’s adult population, with official data placing it at around 1in 4 in England. [2]
The BDA has set out its own manifesto at what it describes as a ‘make or break’ moment for the service in Wales, after the current administration railroaded untested reforms through the Senedd and into law on 1 April.
The professional body say a safety net is now needed to make these reforms sustainable for struggling practices, including a pause on implementation until 2027 while a package of needed improvements is worked up.
The ham-fisted approach the Government has taken to rollout has already seen practices across Wales return NHS contracts or reduce their overall NHS commitment. [3]
The BDA is also seeking a decisive break from chronic underfunding, protections for the most vulnerable patients in Wales, and a wholesale change of tone from a new administration. The deal currently with the Senedd is not a negotiated contract, with any meaningful dialogue over the final package ending over 16 months ago.
Russell Gidney, Chair of the BDA’s Welsh General Dental Practice Committee, said:
“NHS dentistry in Wales was already in crisis, and without decisive action things are set to go from bad to worse.
“Untested reforms have already seen many dentists walk away from the NHS. Whoever forms the next government will need a plan to guarantee the future of this service.
“For voters facing access and cost of living crises dentistry matters. Political choices mean it is now a real concern on the doorstep - polling ahead of crime, education and even jobs as a top-flight issue facing Wales.
“Our message to all candidates and all parties is very clear: dentistry is on the ballot paper in this election. And the public will measure how you choose to respond.
“This is a service millions of voters depend on. Meaningful action will be rewarded. Complacency will be punished.”