Hansard

I will come on to that in great detail, but essentially—[Interruption.] I will tell members if they care to listen. Essentially, it is because we need root-and-branch reform of what is going on. We cannot continue with the current position, because NHS dentistry will be lost.

It has been known for years that the current dental treatment remuneration package is in many ways ridiculous, and I will explain why. Let us consider cobalt chrome dentures. If we consider lab bills and appointment times, dentists are working for less than the minimum wage. Then there are extractions. To take out teeth, maybe to prepare a teenager for braces, dentists are paid only for the first three extractions. However, there is more. The price code for composite white fillings on back teeth for children has no relation to what is required in terms of time or complexity. Taking overheads into account, dentists can make a loss.

In Scotland, dentists are not allowed to place a white filling on the biting surface of a back tooth—they may only use metal—so patients either pay or they are disadvantaged by a mouthful of metal, while a white filling can be offered in England and Wales. There seems to be no reason for that other than the Government’s regulations being out of date.

We are seeing lower patient participation in our most deprived areas. Oral health inequalities will translate into a higher disease burden in the long term as the chances of picking up early signs of decay and oral cancers at routine check-ups are reduced. Delays in treatment will mean higher costs for the NHS and worse outcomes for patients. NHS dentistry in Scotland was in crisis before Covid hit. As we come out of the pandemic, we know that millions of our fellow Scots have missed out on important oral health checks. Dentists are exhausted and demoralised, and many are looking for the exit to change career, take on more private work or go overseas, where demand is high and remuneration is fairer.

Dentists and their staff are being abused by frustrated patients because of how long they have to wait. People think that dentists are rich, but it is worth noting that, between 2009 and 2019, the taxable income of dentists in Scotland was eroded by 35 per cent. The Scottish Government has failed to grasp that NHS dentistry needs to be adequately funded and to retain a skilled workforce including dental nurses, technicians and support staff. If we do not help the profession, we risk losing NHS dentistry forever.

The Scottish Conservatives want NHS dentists to succeed, which is why we are calling for the emergency funding to remain as an interim solution while the Scottish Government discusses a root-and-branch change with the British Dental Association. We also believe that we need a 30 per cent increase in tariffs as an interim measure. We need to ensure that dentistry is financially viable and is based on delivery of holistic, modern, best-practice services and on prevention, rather than on a fee-per-item and drill-and-fill culture.

By supporting our dentists and their practices, we can ensure that they have a fighting chance of working through the backlog, achieving the goal of offering every Scot a dental check-up in 2022 and staying on track in accordance with clinical guidance thereafter.

We will support the Labour amendment.

I move,

That the Parliament notes with concern that almost half of people in Scotland have been unable to see an NHS dentist for the last two years; further notes the Scottish Government’s proposed withdrawal of emergency funding provided to dental practices on 1 April 2022; believes that this funding should be maintained for the upcoming financial year in recognition of the considerable efforts still required to restore services and reduce the significant backlog of patients seeking dental treatment, particularly while maintaining enhanced infection control measures; recognises the importance of regular dental check-ups for people of all ages, both for good dental hygiene and in the detection of some forms of oral cancer; acknowledges the concerns expressed by many in the profession that the current settlement risks making NHS dentistry financially unviable; calls on the Scottish Government to come forward with a plan for ensuring the long-term sustainability of NHS dentistry, including a complete overhaul of the current fee structure to more accurately reflect modern dentistry; further calls on the Scottish Government to increase the dental tariffs provided by government to NHS dentists by a third as an interim measure to sustain NHS dental services, and ensure that all people in Scotland are able to access a dental check-up in 2022 and every year as clinically required thereafter, and calls for the development of a more holistic service that NHS patients deserve, in place of the current conveyor belt system.