Dentists under fire for obstructing efforts to tackle the NHS’s nightmarish backlog of dental appointments by preventing trained support staff from providing basic care
Dentists have come under fire for preventing trained support staff from providing basic care, effectively hampering attempts to tackle the nightmarish backlog of dental appointments in the NHS.
Britain has 15,000 skilled dental hygienists and therapists, but experts claim they are often excluded from carrying out their duties by ‘protectionist’ dentists.
It comes as there are government plans to allow foreign dentists to work in Britain without an inquiry into their qualifications to ease patient problems.
Miranda Steeples, president of the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy, argued that the backlog could be quickly cleared if these workers were better utilized.
“Our members were able to take on routine dental appointments, allowing dentists to tackle complex problems such as extractions and the fitting of dentures, crowns and bridges,” she said.
Miranda Steeples, President of the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak talks to staff and patients during a visit to the Gentle Dental practice in Newquay, Cornwall, earlier this month
‘But some dentists consider us second-rate and do not trust us. This is absolute nonsense. It is simply protectionism, which is of no use to anyone.’
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak unveiled the NHS dental ‘recovery plan’ earlier this month, including mobile monitoring centers and wider coverage of fluoride in the water supply to protect against tooth decay.
But Ms Steeples wants the project to make better use of its staff.
She revealed that she had previously quit jobs in practices after being reprimanded for doing fillings – a task for which she is highly trained.
Dental hygienists and therapists are also not covered by the NHS gold-plated pension scheme, which provides guaranteed annual pay from retirement until death.