Scottish newspaper runs article critical of dentists’ allowances
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- Published: Thursday, 05 February 2015 08:00
- Written by News Editor
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The Herald in Scotland reports that Scottish dentists ‘have pocketed nearly £17m in ‘reward’ bonuses from the public purse for carrying out work for the NHS’. It says: ‘Over the last two years dental surgeons have taken home golden hellos and extra ‘seniority’ and ‘commitment’ payments at a time of financial constraints in the public sector.’ BDA’s Graham McKirdy has responded vigourously on behalf of the profession.
Dr Graham McKirdy, chair of the British Dental Association's Scottish Council said: "These payments, together, are fair and have worked to ensure we don't return to the shortages patients faced a generation ago. Ensuring access to healthcare professionals in Scotland's more isolated communities remains a real challenge. In some areas the population is simply too small to sustain a dental practice. Recruitment and retention payments mean that patients in the Highlands and Islands can get the care they need, where they need it. Seniority pay has kept experienced practitioners delivering essential services for their patients."
However the paper reports that a large proportion of dentists focus on ‘lucrative’ private work, but some get reimbursed for treating NHS patients. It says: ‘According to figures, 17 dentists had gross earnings from the taxpayer of over £500,000 and two took home more than £1million. The average income for a dentist north of the border is £68,000. However, dentists carrying out NHS work can also draw on special incentive payments designed to keep them working for the health service’.
The Herald reports that in the last two years, over £1million has been paid in "recruitment and retention" allowances to new dentists who have not been in practice for more than 5 years. It continues: ‘In 2012/13, 85 dentists shared a golden hello pot worth £682,500 - the equivalent of £8,029 each. Dentists aged 55 and over, who have 10 years or more service and earnings of over £237,000 in the last decade, are also entitled to "seniority" payments. Between 2012 and 2014, around £3.7m was doled out to dentists from this publicly-funded scheme. Last year, 205 dentists landed a total of £1.8m in seniority top ups, worth an average £9,084 each. The costliest reward scheme is "commitment" payments, which are for dentists who have been in practice for at least 5 years and who earned at least £28,000 in the previous twelve months.’
Continuing in its aggressive tone the paper writes: ‘According to National Services Scotland (NSS), an NHS quango that administers the payments, nearly £12m has been given to dentists for these payments since 2012. In 2013/14, 1374 practitioners scooped payments totalling £5.9million, worth nearly £4337 each.’
An NSS official told the Herald that the purpose of the allowances was three fold: to encourage dentists to provide NHS services in particular areas; helping them stay committed to the health service; and incentivising older dentists. However, Jackson Carlaw, deputy leader of the Scottish Tories, said: "The public will find it very difficult to accept dentists are paid these sums which exist in almost no other sector. Dentists are very well remunerated for what they do - so there must be an explanation for why these payments are being made. The Scottish Government needs to explain why it is having to bribe dentists to carry out what ought to be a popular profession."
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