On 13th May in Westminster, the Association of Dental Group’s (ADG) Executive Chair, Neil Carmichael led a Parliamentary roundtable with the aim of delivering recommendations for driving down inequalities and solving the dental workforce crisis.
Key stakeholders, including policymakers and healthcare professionals, met to discuss and debate the steps needed to transform dentistry. The Parliamentary roundtable focused on improving dentistry now and in the long term, to address access to services, especially urgent care, with a particular emphasis on increasing the dental workforce and reforming the NHS dental contract in England.
Chaired by the Association of Dental Group’s (ADG) Executive Chair, Neil Carmichael, and hosted by Dr Peter Prinsley, MP[1], the roundtable’s main issue for discussion was patient access to a dentist. We know that the gap in the dental workforce is significant. There are currently over 3,000 unfilled vacancies for dentists across the NHS and private sectors. Data published by NHS England for the period to March 2024, show there were 2,749 full-time equivalent (FTE basis) NHS dentist vacancies, with 411 (FTE basis) vacancies in private practices still open.
Whilst, the ADG-chaired roundtable also talked about the need for NHS contract reform and increasing Units of Dental Activity (UDA) payments, it is clear that irrespective of the need for contract reform, there is a system-wide shortage of dentists in the UK across the profession’s ‘mixed-economy’.
Neil Carmichael reminded attendees that less than 1% of dentists are looking for work. Data released by the GDC on dentists’ working patterns, reports that just 0.8 percent (241) of the 30,066 who completed their questionnaire said they were actively seeking work as a dentist. This is not good news when it comes to filling the current 3,000+ dentist vacancies.
Discussions included improving the Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) system, how Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) need to be more flexible in their commissioning powers and improving workforce planning by recognising the skills mix across the full dental team – as well as supporting dental school development. Members also emphasised the need for an approach that incentivised a prevention approach.
Neil Carmichael, Executive Chair, Association of Dental Groups, said: “Hearing from the General Dental Council during the roundtable, that there are currently approximately 6,000 fully-trained overseas dentists already in the UK who are on the waiting list to get through the ‘bottle-neck’ of the Overseas Registration Examination system should be a priority. Currently each ORE sitting only has capacity for 600 students. At that rate, it will take years to get them qualified!
Valuable input from ADG members highlighted how a ‘Provisional Registration’, similar to the system available to overseas doctors arriving in the UK could also be an immediate and impactful step. We look forward to seeing the post-roundtable briefing paper with an implementation plan for ministers. Solutions must include rapid expansion of the workforce.”
References
[1] Dr Peter Prinsley, MP for Bury St Edmunds & Stowmarket and Vice-Chair of the APPG for Deafness and Officer for the APPGs for Emergency Care and Healthcare Workers
