This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Remote area allowance for dentists to double
14/03/2003
The remote areas allowance for Scotland's NHS dentists
is to double from £1500 a year to £3000, it was announced
today.
The allowance - first introduced in April 2002 as part
of a package of measures to tackle the recruitment and
retention of dentists in remote and rural areas, and
improve patients' access to NHS dentistry - rewards remote
and rural dentists for their commitment to NHS work.
Thirty-one dentists working in a number of areas of
Scotland including Highland, the Islands, Dumfries and
Galloway, and Argyle and Clyde, and who currently receive
the £1500 allowance, will benefit from today's
announcement. In total it represents an investment of
£46,500.
Deputy Health Minister Mary Mulligan said:
"Dentists are independent practitioners and are
therefore free to choose whether they want to work in the
NHS and/or private sector. What the Scottish Executive is
determined to do, through a range of incentives, is to try
and make the NHS as attractive an option as possible so
that patients can continue to access NHS dental treatment.
"In April last year I announced a £1m package of
measures to encourage and improve the recruitment and
retention of NHS dentists in Scotland, including the
creation of a new £1500 remote and rural allowance. Last
month, I also announced a further £6m for NHS dentistry,
including £3m to encourage more dentists to work or return
to work in the NHS, and improve access to NHS dental
services for patients throughout the country.
"Today, following continued partnership discussions
with the British Dental Association in Scotland, I am
pleased to announce a further step forward in that work
through a doubling of the remote and rural allowance from
£1500 to £3000 for the coming year. This increase
recognises the particular pressures on NHS dentists working
in these parts of Scotland, including increased costs in
running their practice - for example because of the
distances involved in the installation and servicing of
equipment." [ 1][ 2]
Robert Donald, Chair of the BDA's Scottish Dental
Practice Committee, said:
"We welcome the increase in funding and the
recognition that more needs to be done to support remote
and rural dentists. In particular, we look forward to
having further talks with Scottish Executive Health
Department to explore other initiatives that will help to
reverse the recent trend of NHS dental practice closures in
these areas."
The remote and rural allowance for dentists was
introduced in April last year. The Scottish Executive
pledged to review that allowance, after the first year.
Today's announcement represents an increase from £1500 to
£3000 in the allowance, currently being received by 31
dentists in Scotland. The total funding involved - £46,500
- is coming from the Health Department's budget for General
Dental Services.
Other dentists currently doing private work, who are
considering returning to NHS dentistry and are interested
in applying for the remote areas allowance, should contact
their local Primary Care Trust or NHS Board.
The Scottish Dental Practice Committee is the
representative committee of all general dental
practitioners in Scotland practising in the NHS and/or
privately and negotiates directly with the Scottish
Executive Health Department on issues relating to general
dental services in Scotland.