BDA Wales speaks out on target-driven contracting
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- Published: Wednesday, 08 July 2015 07:51
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Richard Birkin, national director for BDA Wales, claimed NHS dentists' ability to take on new patients are limited by the ‘target-driven’ contract they have with NHS commissioners. He was responding to a report that just two out of 48 general dental practices in Cardiff are accepting new NHS patients. BDA Wales said the problem lay with capped dental budgets for treatment.
According to the Cardiff and Vale health board's website, only one practice in Cyncoed and one dental surgery in Pentwyn have spaces for new NHS patients. Two others can see new patients - but only for a one-off course of treatment and for emergency appointments. A surgery in Rhiwbina says it will see new patients for a one-off course of treatment, while another in Roath said it only had emergency appointments.
Richard Birkin, national director for BDA Wales, claimed NHS dentists' ability to take on new patients are limited by the "target-driven" contract they have with NHS commissioners. “We believe a better way of delivering care to patients is to have a contract that is based on prevention, rather than targets, with an in-built flexibility to allow dentists to take on more new patients,” he said, “Work has been underway for several years to road-test this preventive approach. It's now time that Welsh government has prevention at the core of the dental contract.”
David Oliver, the health board's dental and optometry primary care support manager, said it would be improving new patient access following £200,000 of additional funding from the Welsh government. He added: “The majority of practices do however accept patients onto a waiting list and will select patients from this waiting list as places become available.”
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