BDA offers cautious welcome to NHS plans

The British Dental Association (BDA) has said it gives a qualified welcome to the announcement of a budgetary increase in the year 2008-09.

The newly-published Operating Framework for the NHS in England document outlines a budget of ?2,081 million for commissioning primary care dental services next year, an increase of 11 per cent on current levels.

Peter Ward, chief executive of the BDA, said the move is welcome because NHS dentistry has long needed a “financial boost”.

Investment in dentistry has been outstripped by funding to other areas of the NHS for a long time, he added.

However, Mr Ward warned: “The real challenge now is ensuring that the money is spent putting patients, rather than targets, at the centre of NHS dentistry.”

The Department of Health reports that primary care trusts need to ensure there are annual improvements in the numbers of Britons able to access NHS dental services.