Issue - meetings

To consider the following Motion in the names of Councillors P A Davies and A Smith;

“This Council notes that:

1)    NHS dentistry operates similarly to GP practices in that most dentists are not employed directly by the NHS but operate as independent contractors. In practice, this means that dentists purchase and equip the surgery, hire staff and pay all the running costs (such as wages, materials and insurance) in order to provide an NHS dental service;

2)    Dentists enter into agreements with NHS England which commits them to perform a set number of ‘units’ of treatment every year. The contract gives NHS dental practices targets to hit, and this is known as units of dental activity (UDA). If dental practices do not hit their targets, they risk losing a significant part of their NHS funding;

3)    Dentists are paid by the NHS according to the number of UDAs they provide. UDAs are a measure of the amount of work done during dental treatment. More complex dental treatments count for more UDAs than simpler ones. For example, an examination is 1 UDA, fillings are 3 UDAs and dentures are 12 UDAs, but the UDA bears no relation to the amount of work or true cost of the treatment. This means that NHS dentists have to subsidise more complex work. In addition, dentists have inherited different UDA tariffs, so different dentists get paid different rates for the same treatment.

4)    There is a shortage of dentists in England. According to NHS figures, the number of dentists providing NHS care in England fell from 23,733 at the end of 2020 to 21,544 at the end of January this year. This means that the NHS now has the smallest number of dentists it has had for over a decade. It is also a local problem, with Kirklees losing 11% of its dentists, meaning that it is the among the 25 most affected areas nationally.

This Council believes that:

1)    Access to NHS dental care and treatment has become enormously limited and this is a huge issue. Many people across Kirklees and England have been forced to go private and are battling to get treatment as practices stop seeing NHS patients. Many people travel miles outside their areas to access NHS treatment and some have even travelled overseas for treatment. Sadly, there has been a rise in do-it-yourself dentistry, which is enormously risky and can be harmful to dental health;

2)    Dental care is an essential part of health care and should be available to all, yet oral health inequality is widening across Kirklees and across the country. A shortage of NHS appointments and treatment is particularly affecting those on low incomes the hardest, as well as patients with high levels of need, including those who are vulnerable. A lack of access to NHS dental care has real implications; it is deepening health inequalities and resulting in a rise of health issues, such as tooth decay, gum disease and oral cancer;

3)    Dental surgeries  ...  view the full agenda text for item 18:

Deferred to the following meeting of Council to enable the submission of a revised Motion, incorporating the Labour Group amendment.