This meeting on 21 October was the outcome of our recent letter to highlight the stark position of health service dentistry in Northern Ireland. BDA NI National Director for NI Tristen Kelso, Northern Ireland Dental Practice Committee Chairman Richard Graham and Ciara Gallagher attended the meeting.
Richard Graham made our position clear: “We told the Minister it’s been five years since new GDS contract discussions stalled, pending the outcome of the pilot. We believe the time is right to reinvigorate that process.”
“We need to look forward and build back better, together in a way that aims to ensure GDS will be truly sustainable for the future. As well as patient access and addressing the oral health needs of the population, the other component to this is making Health Service dentistry financially viable in its own right.”
It is time for contract reform
Contract reform in Northern Ireland is long overdue. That was just one of the messages we took to Minister for Health Robin Swann this week.