NHS Dentistry vs Private

HSJ on “toothless dental policy”

The Health Service Journal includes an opinion piece from Simon Stevens, CEO of UnitedHealth, exploring the core issues creating “”chronic confusion and dissatisfaction” over NHS dental provision. Stevens takes into account the evolution of the service since its inception in an attempt to clarify the underlying aim of NHS dental provision.  He also addresses the “mess” arising between public and private provision, and praises the “sign of bravery” demonstrated by Conservative proposals for changing the system, which, he suggests, is necessary. The piece acknowledges the “perverse incentives” inherent the 2006 contract, which he says have led dentists to “pick and choose” how much NHS work to undertake, and ultimately concludes that any measures taken in the interim to expand provision “won’t work” without tackling the incentive issue and clarifying “what NHS dentistry is trying to achieve.”

 Marcus: " As a private dentist, it is very easy to criticise the NHS. I do not know how to make the NHS dental service work properly. I am of the opinion that it is not working too well, as can be seen by the above article. The choice between NHS and private is a value choice. At Fresh Dental Care we try to balance high quality customer service and good value for money. We try and produce high quality work of the latest technological specification and of high aesthetics."

Comments

[cosmetic dentistry los angeles]

Dentists can choose how much, or how little, NHS work they do, and most do a mixture of both NHS and private work.

-heather-