Dentist reform needed says MS

Montgomeryshire Senedd Member, Russell George, has said he shares the concern of the British Dental Association (BDA) that the current reform plans to dentists in Wales will not address the lack of dentists in rural Wales.

During the exchange in the Senedd yesterday with the Health Secretary, Russell George MS raised pressing issues regarding the ongoing crisis in dental care, including workforce shortages, rising costs, and the lack of NHS dentists in Powys.   

The Montgomeryshire MS pressed the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care on how the government plans to rebuild trust with the dental profession, tackle cost pressures, and attract NHS dentists to work in mid Wales.   

The BDA has strongly criticised the Welsh Government's claims of "significant investment" in NHS dentistry.  

The association which represents the industry, highlighted how contract reforms have worsened workforce retention, with a recent survey revealing that associate recruitment in Wales has halved compared to the UK average. More than a third of practice owners identified contract reforms as a direct barrier to recruitment, with nearly half of dental associates describing their job as "very or extremely stressful."

The BDA warned that unless meaningful changes are made, the reforms could accelerate the shift of dentists away from NHS services towards private practice, further reducing access for patients.

Jeremy Miles said the Welsh Government will launch a consultation on dentistry reforms, which will mark a significant change to the old 2006 contract, by the end of the month.

In a statement on March 18, Mr Miles told the Senedd the new general dental services contract will be implemented rom April 2026.

Describing the reforms as the biggest in nearly 20 years, the health secretary said the central aim will be to make it easier to access NHS dentistry.

Commenting, after questioning the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Health, Jeremy Miles MS, Mr George said:

"There are simply not enough NHS dentists in towns like Welshpool and Newtown."

"We need an offer to attract experienced dentists to come and place themselves here in mid Wales."

"My inbox remains full of constituents asking how they can access a local NHS dentist."

"Just this week, one constituent had contacted me, who has had their regular check-up cancelled five times, with the latest cancellation coming just 15 minutes before the scheduled appointment."

"Rising costs and workforce retention are putting practices under immense pressure. The government needs to outline how they will support dentists dealing with cost increases, including national insurance contributions, to ensure they remain in NHS practice rather than going private."

"I have long been telling the Welsh Government that they need to re-examine the NHS contract, because it has clearly not been working. The Government’s current proposals do not go far enough, and they need to listen more carefully to Dentists and the calls from the British Dental Association."