No not understand how our NHS dentist can say our whole family of 5 are now not NHS and must pay private monthly fees to stay

[P3ff3r]

Said monthly plan doesn’t even cost of treatment.

We were NHS, how can we not now be and who can afford private x5 at the drop of a hat like that?

Let's face it, NHS dentistry for adults is finished. I got thrown off our dentist list but thankfully DD was kept on it. I cannot afford to pay privately. I need a filling replaced and have a crumbling back tooth. I will have to wait until I am in agony and get an emergency appointment (if i am lucky).

@SweetPetrichor
My 6 monthly checkups are free (as everyone gets free checkups in Scotland) and I pay for any treatment if and when required.

That's slightly unusual. I work in Scotland. NHS checkups are free in Scotland, but you still have to pay for NHS treatment, unless you are entitled to benefits. Private checkups are chargeable, wherever in the country you live.

Are you sure it's not NHS treatment you get?
Either way, I would ask and get it clarified. It's not very cool for a dentist to do your checkups free on the NHS then charge you for treatment on a private basis.
If you get free NHS checkups, you are entitled to the full range of NHS treatments.

MPs need serious lobbying on this despicable issue!
Bashing the dentists won’t change anything. This is a political issue, and the governments know that dentistry isn’t a vote winner. Make dentistry a vote winning issue and things will change

Of course nhs dentistry is a political move. It’s expensive and the Tory gov have not invested and supported it in their 10 years in gov.

The move to private provision has not been hidden. It’s happening in the gp services too with some elements (eg ear wax removal, tests, holiday jabs etc).

Get what you voted for and don’t be surprised.

I can understand the "non attenders" beings deregistered- the dentist is paid for dental activity, UDAs, they agree a contract based on the dentist completing a certain number of UDAs a year, I think the book of patients registered is part of this, a check up is UDA, treatments also are worth UDAs, the pay is also capped - so if the patient needs 10 fillings or 1 filling the dentist is paid the same and if the patient needs further treatment within a timeframe then that would be no extra UDAs. If the dentist does not achieve their UDAs they have to pay money back, if they do too many UDAs then they get no extra and therefore that work actually costs the dentist.

so if you don't attend for years until half your teeth are rotten they get paid the same for hours and hours of work than a normal check up/1 or 2 fillings slot etc etc

The NHS dentistry has been killed off, the government made it so they could not see the.same number of patients due to covid restrictions (eg empty room between patients) and has requested the same UDAs.for their contracts, it is untenable and no wonder they.are leaving, this is the government's plan I reckon.

"- I've managed ONE in the (almost) 2 years and that was when, after they cancelled last June, I rang an hour later to ask if I could have a private appointment and got one two days later."

Yes, they had restrictions on treating NHS imposed by the government, however no such restrictions for private.

@Namechangehereandnow

From the nhs website:

If after contacting several dental surgeries you still cannot find a dentist accepting NHS patients, call NHS England's Customer Contact Centre on 0300 311 2233.

NHS England commissions dental services in England and is required to meet the needs of their local population for both urgent and routine dental care.

That's what I ended up doing last month. The only place they found was 20 miles away (I'm in London, not some remote village) and couldn't see me for a month, for an emergency appointment. I paid privately and was seen the next day.

The helpline can't force a dentist to create an appointment for an NHS user.