NHS Dental Contract

Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 11:00 am on 16 December 2004.

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Photo of Baroness Andrews Baroness Andrews Government Whip, Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip) 11:00, 16 December 2004

My Lords, I do not believe that NHS dentists are leaving in droves, although I understand that dentists want to ensure that they have a contract that enables them to practise in their best interests as well as those of patients. We are seeing increasing numbers of dentists coming forward to take up the PDS contract. We are hopeful that the balance of preventive work that dentists want to do—the original reforms were certainly popular—will convince and keep dentists in the NHS. We intend to make the NHS dental service, with extra resources and with extra staffing, a better service than we have had in the past.