Open Letter to Chancellor by BDA
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- Published: Friday, 01 November 2024 16:55
- Written by Guy Tuggle
- Hits: 816
The British Dental Association (BDA) has written a ‘no holds barred‘ letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, warning her of the potential consequences of the government‘s budget statement for dental practices.
The letter, signed by Eddie Crouch, BDA Chair, Shawn Charlwood, Chair of General Dental Practice Committee and Martin Woodrow, Chief Executive, tells Rachel Reeves that the impact of increased minimum wages, coupled with the rise in Employer National Insurance Contributions (NICS) will add significantly to practice operating costs.
It highlights the fact that dental practices are small businesses which, when faced with rising overheads, will have no choice but to raise charges to private patients. However, practice owners will have no option to do so in an NHS setting where fees are decided externally.
"Hundreds of NHS providers are already delivering NHS treatments at a financial loss. Failure to soften this blow will push more of them closer to the brink or with no choice other than to move away from NHS provision" the letter states. It adds "Make no mistake, these cost increases will have an impact on access to NHS dentistry".
Reliefs Sought
Given the double whammy of higher NICS and minimum wage implications, the BDA is asking the Chancellor to consider extending reliefs enjoyed elsewhere in the NHS to dental practices.
"As a bare minimum the public sector relief from National Insurance contributions should be extended to those providing NHS care" say the authors.
And they remind Reeves that it is the government’s declared policy to shift focus from secondary to primary care. "Dental practices cannot be excluded from support offered to hospitals. Despite increases in headline investment in the NHS, there appears no support to insulate dental practices from these and wider significant increases in overheads" the letter adds.
Nor is the BDA convinced by the restrictions of the Employment Allowance. "Ministers have pointed to the increase in the Employment Allowance as a means of softening the blow for small business. But that relief is not available to those businesses focused on serving the public sector.
Again, that very much represents an incentive for dental practices to provide more private and less NHS care. The Government really does need to consider the impact of its decisions on healthcare provision" the letter states.
All budgets draw criticism from those whose interests are affected or whose aspirations are not served. But this year’s budget has attracted especially vocal criticism from many communities who have been enraged by the perceived breaking of manifesto commitments.
The BDA has sounded an early warning that dentistry too, might be poised for disappointment. Its letter to Rachel Reeves notes " Labour pledged to “rebuild dentistry for the long term.” We welcomed that commitment, but the Treasury will ultimately prove the arbiter on whether that mission has any chance of success.
"Already, instead of promised new investment to deliver manifesto pledges on urgent care, we have seen suggestions of a shift to recycle existing budgets. Meanwhile, pay awards that looked generous on paper look set to fail to reflect the soaring expenses colleagues now face, and are seven months’ late with no timeline for implementation."
Practices Running On Empty
The letter, which the BDA wrote to the Chancellor " on behalf of dental practices and practitioners across the UK following this week’s Budget" concludes " Practices are running on empty, struggling to recruit or retain staff. The real reform this service desperately needs – and your party has promised – will need to go hand in hand with fair and sustainable funding."
The tweet below contains the text of the letter.
Dentists now face higher costs, without corresponding support.
— BDA (@TheBDA) November 1, 2024
Labour pledged to “rebuild dentistry for the long term.”
The Treasury will ultimately prove the arbiter on whether that mission has any chance of success.
Our open letter to the Chancellor👇https://t.co/N1sP2iGM45 pic.twitter.com/sy1giW291H
Image credit - Sarah under CC licence - not modified.
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