The British Dental Association has greeted the Labour Party’s commitment to fundamental reform of NHS dentistry, stressing it is the only path to end the access crisis.
The professional body has backed wider commitments set out in the Labour Manifesto on prevention and urgent care but said that only a clean break from the discredited, target-based NHS contract fuelling the current access and workforce crises can guarantee a future for the service.
The manifesto sets out a ‘Dentistry Rescue Plan’ with a commitment to “reform the dental contract, with a shift to focusing on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.”
This pledge appears in line with the prevention-focused, patient-centred model advocated by both the BDA and the Health and Social Care Committee.
The Party has already committed to meet with the BDA in the first week after the election.
BDA Chair Eddie Crouch said: “Labour have pledged to start the ball rolling on fundamental reform of NHS dentistry. Other manifesto commitments might take the edge off the crisis millions now face. But only one can end it, and that’s a decent contract, properly funded.”
