Toothless in Suffolk hits out at government dentistry plan

Mark Jones, founder of Toothless in Suffolk, said the plan to give around 240 dentists across England a one-off £20,000 payment to work in 'under-served' areas for three years was "too little, too late".

Under the NHS Dental Recovery Plan, dentists will receive a new patient payment of between £15 and £50 to treat about a million patients who have not seen a dentist for two years or longer.

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But Mr Jones said instead the focus should be on making the current contract to provide NHS dental care more rewarding by increasing the pay, while also ensuring that patients can access a long-term care plan.

"The whole of the country is in dire need of NHS dentists; it is not going to make a jot of difference. The dentists are going to be spread thin," he said.

He added the dentists already had incentives to work in areas of need, but the contract needed to be "radically reformed".

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Dental campaigner Mark Jones from Toothless in Suffolk (Image: Mark Jones)"This incentive won't go anywhere near addressing the root cause of the problem and that is the NHS dental contracts.

"It does not reward dentists for carrying out the work on patients and patients who need long-term work will not be able to access a care plan through the NHS and NHS dentists can't support it fully because the funding's not there and the way in which the contract is set up does not cater for people with long-term needs."

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He did not know whether any dentists in Suffolk would be among the 240 set to receive the one-off £20,000 payment.

However, Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey has welcomed the plans.

Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey (Image: PA)

She said: “The lack of NHS dental provision has become an increasing issue here in East Suffolk and I have been constantly pressing on behalf of patients. Although interventions have been made focusing on interim solutions as well as the University of Suffolk dental development project, this plan will really transform dentistry, especially in rural Suffolk.”

“As well as the additional incentives, I also welcome the plan to potentially tie in graduates to the NHS and I pressed the minister to look again at the NHS’ own rules that can restrict the rapid supply of dentists into the NHS.

"I was reassured that this would be happening and that crucially, this plan had been co-signed by the NHS.”