More cash for dental practices taking on new NHS patients

As part of the dental recovery plan, dental practices will benefit from extra cash for taking on new NHS patients from today, in a nationwide drive to improve access. 

NHS practices that participate in the programme will be paid from £15 to £50, depending on care, for each new patient treated. This will apply for any patient who has not seen an NHS dentist over the past two years. 

The level of the payment will depend on the complexity of the treatment required and is on top of existing funding the practice receives for treating patients. 

Dentists delivering core NHS services including examination, diagnosis and treatment, will be eligible for the new patient premium. The premium will be paid to dental practices automatically after treating a patient who has not been seen within the past two years. 

Commenting, our Healthwatch England chief executive Louise Ansari said: 

“The patient premium, if taken up by dentists, has the potential to be a game-changer for people who’ve struggled to access appointments in the past two years.

“It could mean that children get their first ever check-up, while adults get treatment for problems that have long caused them pain or prevented them from eating, working or socialising.

“It’s now important that the NHS makes it easy for people to find out which dentists will be offering new appointments based on the two-year criteria, so they only seek appointments from the relevant practices.  NHS commissioners of dental services should also promote these new appointments to people who have struggled to access care in recent years, especially those on lower incomes, women, and some ethnic minority patients."