NHS dental services in Scotland have faced the most significant changes in a generation, with a new Determination 1 and several regulatory amendments in place since 1 November 2023.
It's not root and branch reform, but we've secured needed improvements.
Throughout the negotiations we fought to secure the best possible outcome for dentists.
Although discussions focused mostly on costings and fee setting, including securing additional funding for laboratory-based items, we also lobbied for further amendments to the Determination 1 codes and provisos and several regulatory changes, to improve the terms and conditions of service. These included the removal of the provision that prevents NHS and private treatment on the same tooth and updates to Determination V and VI.
We have summarised the changes to NHS dental services in Scotland, but stress that this is not a substitute for making a detailed assessment of the core documents listed.
The following documents include Primary Care Administration circulars (PCAs) and corresponding Statements of Dental Remuneration (SDR).
The announcement made in PCA(D)(2026)2 outlines the next steps in the reform programme for NHS dental services. We have summarised these changes in advice for members but strongly recommend that dentists and dental body corporates read the regulations and PCA(D)(2026)2 in full.
The Scottish Government have prepared FAQs on payment reform which it hopes will help to address any queries dentists may have about applying the new fee items and interpretation of the provisos.
There are other educational resources released on the NHS Education Scotland (NES) Turas platform.
An Extraordinary CPD Allowance was made available to dentists who have their name included in sub-part A of the first part of a health board's dental list, on completion of all live and recorded mandated elements of the payment reform training on the Turas website. The extraordinary CPD Allowance is not subject to abatement. To qualify for the one-off payment of £500 as 'Extraordinary Dental Reform CPD Allowance' you must meet the criteria as described in PCA(D)(2023)(5).
Payment reform has an impact on the existing claims processes and procedures. Practitioner Services Division have therefore published pages on their website to help dentists and dental teams understand the changes that have been taking effect from 1 November 2023.
We have updated relevant advice for members to take account of both the changes to the SDR and the GDS regulations.
We will continue to support our members following the 1 November 2023 reforms and into the future.
If you'd like to be kept informed about developments on dentistry in Scotland, make sure your details are up to date on your MyBDA record and tick the box under 'contact preferences' to get latest news email updates.
Extra and Expert members can contact our advice team for one-to-one advice by calling 020 7935 0875 or emailing [email protected].
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