The British Dental Association Scotland has responded to new freedom of information data from the Scottish Liberal Democrats showing the number of dentists providing NHS services has fallen from pre-pandemic numbers across most health boards.
The BDA stress this data only begins to show the risks facing the service, as the data does not capture the mix of NHS and private work dentists undertake.
The professional body says the data gives no picture of the whole time equivalent NHS workforce, and without that there is no scope for robust workforce planning.
The broken high volume/low margin model high street NHS dentists work to proved unsustainable during COVID, and while some amends to this system were rolled out in November, it remains to be seen if reforms are sufficient to give the service a sustainable future
David McColl, Chair of the British Dental Association’s Scottish Dental Practice Committee said: “For years the broken system NHS dentistry works to has left dedicated colleagues looking to the exit.
“We’ve seen some reform, but time will tell if it’s enough to put a halt to this exodus.
“One point is abundantly clear. If this service is going to have a future there can be no complacency at Holyrood.”
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