Majority of dentists in Scotland unable to take on new NHS patients

A UK-wide survey by the BBC found that 687 of the 839 (82%) dental practices in Scotland which have NHS contracts were closed to new adult patients. 

This was, however, the lowest proportion of dental practices across the UK not accepting new adult patients as the figures stood at 90% in Northern Ireland, 91% in England and 93% in Wales. 

Statistics also showed that 79% of Scottish dental practices were not accepting new child patients – the same figure as in England but 9% lower than Northern Ireland and Wales. 

READ MORE: Thousands of dentists stop providing NHS services

Of those closed to new adult patients, nearly one in five in Scotland said the waiting time to join their list would be a year or longer.  

Chair of the British Dental Association’s (BDA) Scottish Dental Practice Committee David McColl is urging ministers to “bring forward the reforms and resources we need to deliver for patients across Scotland”.

He continued: “The Scottish Government promised free NHS dentistry for all, but the public are now living with the harsh reality. 

“You can’t run a health service on soundbites and slogans.”

The latest findings follow warnings from the profession that providing NHS care is becoming unaffordable. 

The majority of dental practices in Scotland are mixed – meaning they provide both NHS and private care.

The latest figures show that, as of February this year, the number of NHS dental treatments being carried out in Scotland remained 28% below pre-pandemic levels. 

Dentists are warning that some practices may go completely private

In April, infection control measures were de-escalated in a bid to increase the number of patients being seen, with a temporary “multiplier” payment system seeing dentists reimbursed 170 pence for every £1 of NHS treatment claimed. 

Interim statistics suggest that NHS dental activity doubled between April and June compared to the first three months of the year. 

This was then cut to 130% in July, which sparked criticism from the profession that increased costs of staffing, electricity, and materials would leave practices making a loss on NHS work. 

The BDA called on the 170% rate to remain while talks continue on a revised fee model, with warnings that dentists will simply opt to retire, go completely private or sell their practices. 

Figures obtained from the Scottish Pensions Authority (SPPA) by the Scottish LibDems show that only 14 of the 249 dentists who have retired in Scotland since 2015 waited until they reached the age to be able to receive a state pension. 

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We are continuing to provide additional funding to the dental sector and remain in a position of relative strength in terms of workforce numbers and capacity. 

“There has been a 32% increase in the number of dentists providing NHS services in Scotland in the past 15 years, meaning we now have 54 NHS dentists per 100,000 of the population, compared with 42 per 100,000 in England. 

READ MORE: People pulling out own teeth due to lack of NHS dental care, ministers warned

“We have supported NHS dental teams with an additional £50 million of financial support (on top of their normal earnings before the pandemic) and £35 million of PPE.

“A new system of interim dental support payments was introduced in April to support dentists to see more patients and to avoid the cliff edge of financial uncertainty for the sector.

“We continue to engage with dentists to develop a future payment system that reflects the challenges of modern dentistry and ensures patients’ needs are at the heart of our NHS dental services.”