Your right to an NHS dentist
Our new research revealed that 68% of people mistakenly believe they can sign up permanently with an NHS dentist, but joining a dental or GP practice works differently.
Do you have a right to register with an NHS dentist?
People lost their right to register with an NHS dentist in 2006 when the NHS introduced a new contract with dentists.
In England, you do not formally register with a dentist as you would with a GP.
You can attend any dentist - even if the practice is based in a different area from where you live - as long as they can see you and are taking on NHS patients. This is because technically, the arrangement between a dentist and patient only lasts as long as your course of treatment. It doesn’t give you the right to stay permanently registered with the same dental practice. But your dentist may choose to keep you on an informal list of regular patients and invite you back for regular check-ups.
Why is there a difference?
In 2006, the NHS introduced a new contract with dentists. Before this, dentists were paid per person registered on a list of permanent patients, combined with set fees for each treatment delivered.
The new contract instead paid dentists per 'unit of dental activity'.
The contract means a dentist has no long-term obligation to see patients on the NHS unless they are undergoing active treatment or dental work already carried out is under guarantee.
Does the NHS contract work?
The NHS dental contract works has had adverse effects on patients.
People have increasingly struggled to find an NHS dentist, which impacts their health and wellbeing, with some people even turning to DIY dentistry.
Our research found that:
- A third, 33%, of people in our poll said they had to wait longer for their NHS dental treatment than they wanted.
- One in six, 16%, said they hadn't been able to find an NHS dentist to treat them, with 27% having to seek private care in the last two years.
Read our article: Public’s confusion over ‘right’ to register with an NHS dentist
One of the main reasons for these problems is that dentists don’t believe they get paid enough to see patients on the NHS work. As a result, they are giving up NHS work in favour of carrying out private work.
According to the British Dental Association (BDA), although, the overall number of dentists in the country has gone up by about three percent, only 23% of them say most of their work is for the NHS, down from 40% before the pandemic.
Is there a solution?
Last year, Healthwatch England supported MPs' call on the Health and Social Care Committee to reintroduce permanent patient registration rights.
We have called for reform of NHS dentistry to give everyone a GP-style right to be permanently registered with a dental practice to get both preventative and urgent care throughout their lifetime.
The government is now talking to the BDA about reforming the NHS dental contract to encourage more dentists to take on NHS work. In addition, the government introduced a new scheme to encourage dentists to take up NHS work in areas of England with the worst access to appointments. Around 35 new dentists have started, 33 will begin in the near future and ads are going out for up to 240 more.
In the meantime, dental practices should clearly communicate to people what they need to do to remain as a regular NHS patient.
