22 September 2000
Even the promise of a £28m loyalty bonus will not encourage more dentists to offer NHS services, the profession's leaders claimed.
The bonus offer is made in a Department of Health strategy on the future of dentistry, which aims to fulfil a promise made by the prime minister at last year's Labour Party conference.
The government estimates that only 40% of high-street dentists are accepting new NHS patients, a problem that is particularly acute in the south and west of England.
Health minister Lord Hunt said £100m would be spent in England between 2000 and 2002 addressing the problem, which will also include £35m on modernising dental surgeries and £20m for up to 50 dental 'drop-in centres'.
Health authorities will be given new powers to commission primary care trusts, individual dentists or the private sector to offer dental care under contract.
The British Dental Association broadly welcomed the proposals but said the funding was inadequate. Some £40m of the package had already been announced, while the remainder was part of cash allocated to the NHS in the last Budget.
It said: 'The BDA remains very concerned about the underfunding of all sectors of NHS dentistry.'
Sir John Renshaw, chairman of the association's executive board, said:
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