Contemplating the future of the NHS
The publication of the independent NHS confidence monitor survey, which was commissioned by Practice Plan, has revealed that 39% of respondents are less confident in their career prospects within NHS dentistry over the next 12 months than they were a year ago. The survey, which is a completely independent survey asking NHS dental professionals to rate their confidence in the NHS’s future, was created in order to track the profession’s confidence regarding the NHS in order to provide an insight into the thoughts and feelings of the profession.
The survey asked 80 dental professionals (NHS providers and performers) to rate their confidence levels on five key statements which covered their future career prospects, getting the balance of treatment vs prevention right, remuneration levels, whether or not patients will be happy with the level of care provided, and the ability for the team to work effectively within the NHS.
Claire Roberts, the principal dentist at The Dental Health Centre, revealed that she was not surprised that ‘many of the respondents are less optimistic about their future career options’, as she stated that ‘if these reforms come to fruition, there will be less opportunity for young associate dentists to progress, or to earn enough to get to the point of owning a practice’.
The survey also revealed that 44% of dental professionals working within the NHS are less confident that the NHS will offer the right balance of treatment versus prevention over the next 12 months than they were a year ago. Roberts stated that the ‘current contract doesn’t remunerate prevention because it focuses on treatment’, and so the balance in regards to treatment versus prevention is already incorrect. She explains that the loss of confidence in getting the correct balance is due to the current contract, and says that unless it ‘changes in the next 12 months, there will be no improvement in this area’.
The survey noted that 65% of practices consisting of up to three dentists are losing confidence that practicing dentistry within the NHS will offer an appropriate level of remuneration over the next 12 months, whilst 54% of respondents across all practice sizes felt the same. Roberts said that the trend did not surprise her, and that ‘there seems to be an overall decline in confidence from the NHS provider group’.
