This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Dentistry heading for 'name only' NHS service
A rise in dentistry fees, beginning on 1 April, mean that NHS patients in England will pay £1.10 extra for a routine check-up.
The new charges will also see the cost of a set of dentures rise by £12.80 to nearly £270 as dentistry leaders claim that charges are increasingly being relied on and in the future dentistry could end up as an NHS service 'in name only'.
Hoping to keep services sustainable by boosting the fees, the new charges are: £22.70 for Band 1 treatment (examination, X-rays and scale and polish; £62.10 for Band 2 treatment (fillings and root canal work); and £269.30 for Band 3 treatment (crowns, dentures and bridges).
The British Dental Association says that patient charges are increasingly being used to fund the service, accounting for nearly 30 per cent of the budget (up from just over 20 per cent in 2010).
The government currently invests £2bn a year in the service - an estimated drop of £500 million in real terms since 2010 meaning the service is lagging behind the rest of the UK when it comes to public funding.
Latest News
16/02/2024 - 12:56
Hammersmith and Fulham Council has created a new alliance intended to clean dirty air and improve residents' health.
16/02/2024 - 10:44
Two million more GP appointments a month are being delivered for patients compared to the same month before the pandemic as part of the NHS primary care access recovery plan according to new NHS data.
15/02/2024 - 10:26
The Welsh Government has provided innovation funding of £380,000 to support two projects utilising technology in domiciliary care.
15/02/2024 - 10:13
The new Scottish health secretary has met with frontline staff at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
14/02/2024 - 10:27
The North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) has appointed three new Executive Directors to the Trust Board.
Product Features
UK Building Regulations highlight toxic gas and smoke from layers of paint built up over multiple redecorations as a major cause of permanent ill health or death in a building fire.
Their concern rose with discovery the flame retardant paints most widely used paint along escape routes have been ones which to this day counter-productively use emission of heavy toxic gas to smother flames which rapidly spread along walls if layers of paint delaminate in a fire.
Supplier Profiles
Northwich’s Victoria Infirmary (VIN) Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) has enabled more patients
Adveco, the commercial hot water specialist, announces the launch of live metering of domestic ho
Latest Features
Sarah Greenslade, public affairs and communications officer at the British Parking Association looks at some of the problems and innovations in healthcare parking
It’s easy to assume that the comms team is there to handle press enquiries and the occasional social media storm – but the reality is that strategic communications can make a measurable impact across the entire organisation, from operational to financial, when done properly
