We have had confirmation that underspends in NHS dentistry have crashed to historic lows. That means there are now no excuses for Government not to invest in easing the access crisis.
Minister for Care Stephen Kinnock MP has told Parliament that unused budget for general dental services in England has fallen from £392 million in 2023-24 to just £36 million. As we know these underspends do not reflect any lack of demand for care but show the depth of the crisis facing the service, with many practices simply unable to fill vacancies, while others struggle delivering NHS care at a financial loss.
For a generation the Government has used these underspends as a convenient excuse not to sustainably invest in the service. The budget for NHS dentistry has remained flat since 2010, with no attempt to keep pace with demand, inflation, or population growth.
Underfunding has reached the point where NHS dentistry is now being kept afloat by private patients. A typical NHS dentist loses £42.60 for every denture fitted and £7.69 for every new patient exam they carry out. The Department of Health and Social Care collected data for a 'cost of service' exercise to measure this funding gap last summer, but it has yet to be published.
Not a penny of new investment has underpinned the reforms announced at the end of last year. To save NHS dentistry, and deliver a sustainable prevention-focused, patient-centred model of care would require only a modest investment; an additional £1.5bn a year.
“Ministers have used the vast underspends in NHS dentistry as an excuse not to invest,” says Shiv Pabary.
“Underspends have now all but vanished, yet we still have an access crisis. We have practices delivering NHS care at a loss. Without sustainable funding there is no way to restore care to millions.”
We are continuing to press for real reform, underpinned by fair funding. Stay up to date by watching our free webinar on understanding the latest marginal changes to the NHS contract in England on Thursday 15 January.