The British Dental Association has responded to new figures from the Scottish Liberal Democrats, acknowledging that the Scottish Government’s consistent use of registration figures to illustrate the supposed ‘recovery’ in the service is effectively meaningless.
Patients in Scotland are registered for life, so the key focus must be on participation, which remains stubbornly below pre-COVID levels.
The professional body has stressed that reform to the broken low margin/high volume model the service works to are now essential, and that a new model has bee pledged for rollout in the autumn.
At present certain key treatments can be delivered at a financial loss, accelerating the exodus from the service. A recent BDA survey showed over half (59%) of high street NHS dentist reported having reduced the amount of NHS work they did since lockdown.
Over four in five (83%) said they plan to reduce or further reduce their NHS commitment in the year ahead.
The BDA says that the future of the service hinges on reform providing it with firm foundations, with a decent, sustainable model that can deliver for patients and dentists across Scotland.
Charlotte Waite, National Director of the British Dental Association Scotland said: “When patients are put on the books for life registration is a meaningless metric.
“What really matters is the patients getting through our doors, and on that note NHS dentistry has not returned to anything resembling ‘business as usual’.
“This service is at a tipping point. Without reform there can be no recovery.”