To ensure the Committee, chaired by former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt MP, has sight of the very latest intelligence, we have now launched a new survey, and are inviting all General Dental Practitioners in England to take part.
Around 3,000 dentists in England have left the NHS since the start of the pandemic, and both private and NHS providers continue to report severe workforce problems. While the pandemic has exacerbated these issues, we have been highlighting the chronic problems the service has faced with burnout, recruitment and retention long before Covid struck.
As we prepare to give evidence in Parliament, feedback from members will help us paint a detailed picture of the morale and intentions of the profession, and make compelling arguments about the drivers of – and potential solutions to – the workforce crisis dentistry is facing.
Based on the evidence it receives from us, the Committee is set to offer recommendations to government on the main steps needed to ensure the country has the dentists it needs short, medium and long-term.
“Every vacancy that remains unfilled translates into thousands of patients unable to access care” says Shawn Charlwood, General Dental Practice Committee Chair, who will be addressing the Committee in Westminster on 24 May.
“It is vital that Jeremy Hunt and his committee colleagues hear the facts on what dentists are facing on the frontline.”