Reprieved Practice Hits New Problems
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- Published: Tuesday, 30 July 2024 09:08
- Written by Peter Ingle
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The difficulties of one practice in Bristol continue to illustrate just how much needs to be done if UK dentistry is to recover. The St Pauls practice in Bristol has had a turbulent history.
Serving a population in a deprived part of the city, the practice was closed by BUPA in 2023 on the grounds of not being viable. There followed a long campaign to try and resurrect it, notable for the involvement of local activists, rather than more established figures. This persistent and community led approach kept the story in the local and national press. In February 2024 the practice reopened under new management, and once again it was in the news as police were called in to control long queues of would be patients.
Now, just a few months later, a dentist at the practice is calling for help as a result of the lack of workforce.
Dr Gauri Pradhan, a dentist at the St Pauls practice, has written to the new Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, requesting a discussion on the problem and calling for action to be taken. Bristol remains one of the hardest parts of the country in which to find an NHS dentist despite the hundreds of new patients taken on in St Pauls.
Dr Pradhan says that bringing in more dentists from overseas will be needed if the access problems are to be tackled. As a trustee at the International Dental Association, which represents 2,000 overseas dentists, Dr Pradhan believes that there are many overseas dentists who could be recruited to work in the UK and provide NHS dental care.
Mr Streeting visited the St Paul’s practice in February and said that the dental crisis was something that he wanted to tackle within days after the election. The promise of 700,000 more urgent appointments, he said, “would make a real difference, really quickly.”
When the Minister met General Dental Practice Committee representatives following the election, the focus appears to have been on contract reform, and in the short term maximising the return on current budgets.
But Dr Pradhan believes the recruitment of international dentists would provide a viable solution to the crisis. In her letter, she told Mr Streeting: “It is critical to note that the majority of NHS dental care is provided by overseas dentists, while many in the private sector are reluctant to transition to the NHS.”
“This is supported by data from the General Dental Council and NHS. With recent updates from the GDC, a significant number of new registrants are overseas dentists eager to work within the NHS. Last year, 49 per cent of new registrants to the GDC were overseas-qualified, and this number is increasing with more overseas registration exam places available.
“It is a matter of pride for international dentists to work in the NHS, and our community is eager to help with the recruitment and retention challenges, which are immediate needs. We have successfully managed this at St Paul’s Dental Practice by streamlining the pathway for overseas dentists and over-delivering on our contract.”
With the previous government’s proposals to introduce provisional registration as a means of by passing Overseas Registration Exam delays, Dr Pradhan would have been pushing on an open door.
The consultation on those proposals closed in May. The relevant GOV UK page now carries the note that, “This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government.” It remains to be seen if this controversial proposal survives, or will be amongst the “gimmicks” that Mr Streeting has said will be dropped.
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