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Dental reforms appear to be failing
The number of patients being seen by a dentist fell by nearly one million in the 18 months after the introduction of the NHS dental contract.
A report by MPs has said that dentistry reforms have not been successful.
Introduced in April 2006, the new contract was intended to simplify charges and make it easier to find an NHS dentist but, instead, patient numbers fell by 900,000.
The Commons Health Committee has claimed that access is still "patchy" and that there has been a sharp fall in the number of complex procedures.
The reforms introduced a new fixed charging system for patients and also gave local Primary Care Trusts the power to commission and pay for dental services.
In the first year of the contract, the number of complex treatments, such as bridges and crowns, was halved and root canal work fell by 45 per cent. These treatments attract higher fees under the new scheme.
Instead the number of tooth extractions rose, indicating that people are choosing to have their teeth removed rather than paying for the more expensive complex treatments.
In Scotland and Northern Ireland, where the scheme wasn’t introduced, the number of treatments rose.
A Department of Health spokesman said: "The focus and funding is already starting to show results – patients are starting to see the benefits with new NHS practices opening all over the country, and we are working with the NHS to ensure that, as the committee recommends, the quality of dental commissioning by PCTs improves."
Westfield Health’s cash plans include a dental benefit, enabling policyholders to claim back the costs of dental check-ups and treatment, up to set limits.
Reference
© Westfield Health Insurance | 2008
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