The British Dental Association has said the above-inflation 6% pay uplift for high street NHS dentists confirmed today is welcome progress but warned that after a decade of savage cuts contract reform must now come swiftly to keep the service afloat.
The award is double the 3% award the previous UK Government had budgeted for. The BDA say this leap reflects the existential threat to the service spelled out in its damning evidence to the pay review body.
The professional body’s analysis of data on NHS dentists’ earnings and expenses published last week indicates that since 2008/9 the typical dentist in England has seen real cuts in pay of over 40% – a squeeze with no comparator in the UK public or private sectors. [1]
NHS dentists working in secondary care have been taking industrial action. The BDA warn that while their colleagues in primary care have not gone down that road, they have been voting with their feet by reducing or ending their NHS commitment. The BDA will be holding a referendum with its hospital members on the deal secured for juniors, which provides an uplift of over 20% over 2 years.
The BDA has been encouraged by early talks with the UK Government on reform of the discredited contract that is fuelling the exodus from the service. It says that maintaining momentum is key to keeping demoralised dentists on board, and that ministers will need to demonstrate both urgency and ambition.
Agreement is yet to be reached on how dentists’ soaring expenses will be reflected in a final deal. This is likely to eat into the above-inflation award.
Shawn Charlwood, Chair of the British Dental Association’s General Dental Practice Committee said: “It’s welcome progress, but one above-inflation increase will not correct a decade of savage pay cuts with no equal. High street dentists have not taken industrial action. They are simply walking away. We won’t halt this exodus without real contract reform and fair, sustained funding.”
Reference
[1] Taxable Income or Net Profit (£) for associate dentists in NHS General Dental Services (England). Cash values from NHS Dental Earnings and Expenses Estimates published July 2024, real values deflated by the BDA using the Retail Price Index.
- 2008/09 £67,800 (cash terms)
- 2022/23 £64,300 (cash terms), £39,327 (real terms) a real fall of over £28,000 or 42% since 2008/09
