The Scottish Government

This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007

Listen

Action Plan for improving NHS Dentistry

17/03/2005

An overhaul of NHS dentistry services, with additional investment rising to £150 million within three years, was unveiled today.

It is designed to ensure that:

• Every child in Scotland will have access to dental care on starting nursery by March 2008 - in other words, an additional 50,000 children every year
• Scotland will have the largest supervised toothbrushing programme in Europe with over 120,000 children receiving free toothbrushes and toothpaste and taking part in daily brushing at nurseries and schools across the country
• Scotland will gain over 200 extra dentists by 2008
• An additional 400,000 people will be registered with an NHS dentist by March 2008
• We will introduce measures to make dental registration a continuing and not a time-limited system, with defined responsibilities for both dentists and patients
• A range of recruitment and retention measures will be introduced, including a new bursary scheme for dental students, subject to a commitment to NHS dentistry for five years after graduation
• Dental practices which meet agreed standards will qualify for a new rental (or equivalent) reimbursement scheme
• Red tape will be slashed in dental practice - 'Item of services' fee for dentists will be hugely simplified from 400+ items down to around 50
• From April 1, 2005, NHS Boards will be given authority to appoint directly salaried dentists

In a statement to the Parliament, Deputy Health Minister Rhona Brankin said:

"This is the biggest shake-up of NHS dentistry in Scotland since the creation of the NHS in 1948.

"The action we will take is both ambitious and wide-ranging - and it will deliver real and long-term change.

"It will work by focusing on preventing dental disease and on rewarding commitment to the NHS.

"Scotland's oral health record is appalling - it's time to turn it around. Improving the oral health of our children must be our priority.

"Prevention of tooth decay is far better than cure. This message cannot be repeated often enough. That is why we are investing so heavily in children's dental care.

"In parts of Scotland, more than six out of ten children have dental disease by the age of three. I am absolutely determined to turn that around. The measures we are introducing will mean that 60 per cent of children born today will have no dental decay by the time they reach the age of five.

"The Plan will also directly improve access to NHS dental services across the country. We recognise that some parts of Scotland are facing real challenges and have set out specific measures to address them. I am confident these will make a huge difference."

Ms Brankin continued:

"The current shortage of NHS dentists stems from bad decisions made in the past. Our poor oral health stems from generations of neglect. We cannot expect to solve all the problems overnight.

"The Action Plan sets out a series of measures between now and the end of the decade to meet our aim of securing access to dental services for all who need them.

"But good oral health is the product of healthy personal choice and well-focussed professional care. Meeting our objectives will require a genuine partnership between a well-informed public and committed professionals.

"I am convinced that these measures will make a real improvement to Scotland's oral health. It cannot come too soon."

The Minister also confirmed that the Executive would not be changing the current legislation concerning the fluoridation of water supplies during this Parliament.

The additional £150 million will be provided over three years. In the first year (2005-06) an extra £45 million to improve oral health and support NHS dental services will be provided.

This will rise to £100 million in the second year (2006-07) and will build to £150 million of additional funding by 2008.

This announcement is a response to the Executive's two consultation exercises: Towards Better Oral Health in Children, published in September 2002 and Modernising NHS Dental Services in Scotland, published in November 2003.