BDA Lobbying in England

About our work

The BDA and its elected committees seek to improve conditions for the delivery of dental services across England, negotiating with elected representatives and Government bodies, as well as influencing other key-decision makers.

National priorities

In England, NHS delivery is down, dentists are disillusioned and are voting with their feet, by leaving the NHS or reducing their NHS commitment. There is an urgent need for a long term fix to the Units of Dental Activity system and support for practices looking to shift the balance of care.

We are calling on the Government to:

Deliver NHS contract reform to increase access to dental care
Fix the NHS pay system for dentists and pay dentists fairly
Get a grip on workforce numbers and plan a sustainable future workforce
Commit to a national agenda for prevention
Create a place for dentistry to have a voice in Integrated Care Systems.

Committee representation

Dentists working in England are represented through the

England also holds nine seats on the Principal Executive Committee (PEC), which sets our policy and strategic direction.

Latest news

England: Six months late: The latest pay cut from Government

Government has once again failed to deliver the recommendations of our pay review body, delivering another real-terms pay cut to England’s struggling NHS dental service.

England: Dentists back sales ban on energy drinks for kids

We have applauded the proposed ban on sales of high caffeine energy drinks to under-16s.

England: Contract uplift must be implemented without delay

We need confirmation of the GDPs’ contract uplift, which is nearly five months overdue.

Immigration rules change will deepen access crisis

Proposed changes to immigration rules will have a direct impact on patient access to care UK-wide, hitting key members of the dental team, and the future pipeline of dentists.

Getting involved: Giving associates a strong voice in the BDA

Contractual issues and rights and freedoms were discussed at the latest GDPC Associates Sub-committee meeting.

Take part in the NHS cost-of-service exercise

With the Government now assessing the cost of delivering NHS dentistry, we encourage all practices in England to help us make the case for fair funding, before 16 June.

Dental health crisis hitting women hardest

We're proud to join our friends from the National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI) in Westminster today for the launch of their latest campaign report, lifting the lid on how the access crisis is hitting women the hardest and deepening a uniquely gendered health crisis.

Welfare reform has pushed millions away from NHS dentistry

With up to half a million recipients of Tax Credit Certificates set to lose their access to free NHS dental care from April 6 we have interrogated official data, and found millions of patients have stopped accessing NHS dentistry since the transition to Universal Credit (UC), since transition began under the last government.

Dental public health – vital jobs left on the line

With NHSE set to be abolished, we're leading the defence of a vital dental public function and calling for funds to be put to work on the frontline

Charges to rise: More stealth cuts from the Treasury

The latest increase in NHS patient charges have landed, another round of ‘stealth cuts’ that will not put a penny into the cash-strapped service.

Dentists: Skimping on urgent care is fuelling antibiotic resistance

In an open letter to Wes Streeting, we have warned that a failure to fully meet demand for urgent dental care will only increase the pressures on our health service, as antibiotics become a substitute for treatment.

Government meeting less than 1/3 of unmet need for urgent care

Following a string of reports of DIY dentistry, and death – or near death – experiences from dental infections, we’ve found that government discovered demand for urgent care of 2.2 million but covered less than a third of it.   

Upcoming events

BDA England has active branches and sections which run regular events, most of which are free for members.

CBCT Level 1 (ONLINE) Oct 2025

Wednesday 1 Oct 2025 — Thursday 6 Nov

00:00 to 07:45

Oxford Section: Walking into the future: How a modern dental lab can transform your workflow

Thursday 16 Oct 2025

Byrnes Dental Laboratory, Unit 11Ashurst CourtLondon RoadWheatley, OXFORD, OX33 1ER

18:30 to 21:00

Watford and District Section: Medical emergencies and basic life support in the dental setting

Thursday 23 Oct 2025

Verulam Golf Club Ltd, 226 London Road, ST. ALBANS, AL1 1JG

18:30 to 21:00

Bedford Section: Indemnity all the latest

Wednesday 29 Oct 2025

Bedfordshire Golf Club, Spring Lane, Stagsden, BEDFORD, MK43 8SR

18:00 to 21:30

Stay in touch

Members: If you'd like to be kept informed about developments make sure your contact details are up-to-date on your My BDA account and tick the boxes 'News & campaigns' and 'Member newsletters' under 'Communication preferences' to get latest news updates.

Not a member? Create a BDA account and join the 'News & campaigns' list for all the latest updates.

Campaigns and advocacy

The future of NHS dentistry: Our comprehensive plan

Dire need for change requires concrete reform. We have set out to government how we think dentistry needs to change to the benefit of dentists and your patients.

Read now