One-quarter of dentists say they will stop treating NHS patients if Scottish Government plans to cut funding go ahead.
The British Dental Association (BDA) has warned of potentially devastating consequences if the sector returns to pre-Covid models of care.
Practices with NHS patients have been able to access additional funding to help with Covid pressures, but last month Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said it will all be withdrawn by April 2022.
With many dentists still seeing much fewer patients now than before the pandemic hit, the BDA says the move is “unsustainable”.
It says many are reconsidering their options, warning: “Dentists are unwilling to be shackled to a corpse.”
Half of dentists operating at half-capacity
In a BDA survey of more than 1,100 Scottish dentists, 80% predicted they’ll need to reduce their commitments to the NHS if these packages are removed.
Half reported they’re operating at less than 50% of their pre-Covid capacity.
Nine in 10 of claimed the removal of emergency funding will have a “high impact” on the short-medium term sustainability of their practices.
And more than one-third said they’re likely to change careers or seek early retirement in the next 12 months should the policy be taken forward.
While the Scottish Government has offered a support package to boost capacity, the BDA says many dentists are unwilling to commit to a “broken NHS model”.
Dentists facing ‘unprecedented backlog’
BDA Scotland has warned returning to a “business as usual model” will put practices under unsustainable financial pressure.
This could lead to closures or dentists moving fully into the private sector.
Recent data from Public Health Scotland showed dental surgeries are still facing an “unprecedented backlog”.
The number of treatments delivered in the year to March 2021 was less than a quarter of those delivered in the previous 12-month period.
This amounts to more than 3.5 million appointments lost as a result of the pandemic.
‘Unwilling to be shackled to a corpse’
David McColl, chairman of the BDA’s Scottish dental practice committee, is calling for an interim deal to help transition to a more sustainable model while they tackle the backlog.
“Free NHS dentistry for all is a worthy ambition,” he added.
“Rather than exploring ways to actually achieve that goal, the Scottish Government has blindly headed down a road that could destroy this service.
“Covid has slashed our capacity, yet emergency support will end.
“Ministers have offered some support, but with small print many practices simply could not sign up to in good conscience.
“Dentists are unwilling to be shackled to a corpse.
“When aid hinges on committing to an NHS model that is now frankly unsustainable it is unsurprising take up appears so modest.
“We doubt Humza Yousaf wants to be remembered as the man who killed NHS dentistry in Scotland.”
‘Not true’ to say dental model will be same as before
A Scottish Government spokesman said it has provided £50m in financial support, plus almost £35m in PPE for dental services amid the pandemic.
He added: “We’re doing everything we can to support the dentistry profession – and it is simply not true to say our model for dental care is unchanged from before the pandemic.
“We want to put patients at the centre of a sustainable public service.
“From February 2022, we will bring in new and increased fees for dentists for a range of treatments, supporting them in their efforts to clear the backlog which has built up during the pandemic.
“We are of course in regular contact with the BDA, we are immensely grateful to them and their members for all they have done to keep services running through the pandemic and we will discuss the findings of this survey with them.”