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16/01/2012
NHS Dental Budget To Be Cut
It has been revealed that up to a three month wait could be ahead for those people unable to afford private dental care as proposals suggest cutting millions from the NHS dental budget.
It is understood that proposals have been launched that will see £6m stripped from the NHS dental budget this year.
Cost-cutting measures include reducing the number of treatments automatically available in order to save £2m. Procedures such as root canals will require approval from the Business Service Organisation before they be carried out and dentists have been told that this could take two to three months to complete.
Patients who require root canal treatment, for example, could be left to decide whether to wait three months for treatment, have the tooth taken out on the NHS, or pay for the root canal treatment themselves at a cost of several hundred pounds.
Meanwhile incentive payments that encourage dentists to treat NHS patients will also be stopped if the proposals are adopted.
Surgeries will be expected to have a larger proportion of patients who pay fees for NHS treatment in order to receive the payment, meaning those in deprived areas where most people are on benefits and entitled to free treatment will be hardest hit.
(LB)
It is understood that proposals have been launched that will see £6m stripped from the NHS dental budget this year.
Cost-cutting measures include reducing the number of treatments automatically available in order to save £2m. Procedures such as root canals will require approval from the Business Service Organisation before they be carried out and dentists have been told that this could take two to three months to complete.
Patients who require root canal treatment, for example, could be left to decide whether to wait three months for treatment, have the tooth taken out on the NHS, or pay for the root canal treatment themselves at a cost of several hundred pounds.
Meanwhile incentive payments that encourage dentists to treat NHS patients will also be stopped if the proposals are adopted.
Surgeries will be expected to have a larger proportion of patients who pay fees for NHS treatment in order to receive the payment, meaning those in deprived areas where most people are on benefits and entitled to free treatment will be hardest hit.
(LB)
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