BDA study shows large numbers of NHS dentists seeking exit

The British Dental Association (BDA) has raised concerns over the findings of a new survey showing that a large percentage of NHS dentists are looking to end their NHS work.

A BDA survey of general dental practitioners showed that 58 percent of NHS dentists are planning to leave NHS dentistry in the next five years, whether to increase their private work, work overseas, retire or move out of dentistry to another sector.

Of particular concern is the fact that 53 percent of young and newly-qualified NHS dentists aged under 35 intend on leaving the NHS in the same period, indicating retention issues among the next generation of staff.

The BDA blamed this trend on a 35 percent fall in real income among dentists in England and Wales over the last decade, as well as the government's failure to properly overhaul the current dental contract.

Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen, the BDA's chair of general dental practice, said: "These young dentists are the backbone of the dental workforce, and losing them at the start of their careers raises existential questions about the future of the service."

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