Meeting of the Parliament 21 February 2024
No, thank you.
It is fair to say that the rate of NHS registration is also significantly higher in Scotland than in the rest of the United Kingdom, with more than 95 per cent of our population registered with an NHS dentist.
The work by the Scottish Government, alongside the British Dental Association Scotland and the wider sector, on payment reform is the most significant change to NHS dentistry in generations. It provides practitioners with a new suite of fees that are designed to provide a full range of care and treatment to NHS patients. The reform will provide long-term sustainability to the dental sector and encourage dentists to continue to provide NHS care, helping to mitigate some of the access challenges that we are seeing.
The payment reform will improve the system for both dental teams and patients, and it is the first step in the process to make the services that are available on the NHS reflect the changing oral health needs of the population. It also reaffirms the Scottish Government’s commitment to the sector and to all NHS patients in Scotland.
The modernised system will increase clinical freedom for dentists, provide long-term sustainability to the sector and encourage dentists to continue to provide NHS care. Scotland is the only part of the UK where free examinations are available to NHS patients, and that will continue. All patients will receive free NHS dental examinations, with those who are exempt, including children, young people under 26 and those on certain benefits, continuing to receive free care and treatment.
I believe that people in Scotland recognise and appreciate the Government’s commitment to sustaining and improving patient access to NHS dental services. Earlier this week, I received a call from a constituent who wanted to reach out after hearing about the debate that was planned for this afternoon. The gentleman wanted to highlight his recent experience of accessing emergency treatment. He was of the firm belief that he would not get the quality of care that he had received anywhere but in Scotland.
It is an improving picture in NHS dentistry, and building on that progress is an absolute priority for the Scottish Government.
16:36