Critics Warn New NHS Dental Contract Could Still Harm Patients

Controversial plans that would have forced Welsh patients to see whichever dentist was available at each check-up, rather than staying with their regular family practice, have now been scrapped.

The Welsh Conservatives welcomed the Labour Government’s decision to reverse course, stressing that continuity of care is “essential”.

Under the revised approach, a new NHS dental contract will instead pay dentists according to patients’ oral health needs, rather than scheduling routine twice-yearly check-ups. This could mean gaps of up to two years between appointments. The Welsh Conservatives, however, have criticised the changes, describing them as a “sticking plaster solution” that risks “harm[ing] dental patient outcomes in the long-term”.

Commenting on the contract changes, James Evans MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, said:

“This new NHS contract is a sticking plaster solution that has the potential to harm dental patient outcomes in the long-term.

“Continuity of care, the ability to choose to see your local family dentist, is essential. It’s what dentists and families are calling for the length and breadth of Wales, so this Labour Government U-turn is welcome.

“The Welsh Conservatives would deliver a balanced contract by working with dentists to secure the best deal possible for people in Wales who have been badly let down by Welsh Labour, propped up by Plaid, with many still struggling to even see a dentist.”