March 25, 2024 - 314 views
The cost of NHS dental treatment in Wales will increase from 1 April 2024 and the news has been met by strong words from Clwyd West MS Darren Millar.
The increase in dental charges is the first since April 2020 and are overall still lower than in England. Any revenue generated from the increased charges will be re-invested back into NHS dentistry services.
From April 2024, the three standard charges will increase to between £20.00 and £260.00 depending on the treatment required, and urgent treatment will increase to £30.00.
Around 50% of people receive NHS dental treatment for free in Wales. Those eligible for free treatment include children under 18 or those aged 18 and in full time education, pregnant women or those who have had a baby within the 12 months of treatment starting, anyone who has dentistry treatment carried out in a hospital or people on certain benefits.
Additionally, the low-income scheme provides full or partial help with health costs, depending on individual circumstances.
Despite pressure on budgets the Welsh Government has increased investment for dentistry, with funding £27 million higher than it was in 2018 to 2019. Included within this increase is an additional £2 million a year to address local access issues.
Changes to the dentistry contract in Wales include a requirement for NHS practices to see new patients. Since this was introduce in April 2022, 312,000 people who couldn’t get an appointment before have now received NHS dental treatment.
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Eluned Morgan, said: "Because of the extreme pressure on our budget we have had to consider if additional funding should be raised by increasing dentistry charges.
"This is the first increase we have made to dentistry charges since 2020. Around half of patients don’t pay for their NHS dental treatment and we will continue to protect those that are least able to afford to pay.
"It is vital we all keep our teeth and gums healthy. This is why we are working to make it easier for people to see an NHS dentist by increasing the number of new NHS places and helping dentists to focus on those who need help by changing how often we see a dentist for routine appointments."
In response, Clwyd West MS Darren Millar issued a statement slamming the increase. He said:
“People in my constituency, and indeed across the whole of Wales, are facing extremely challenging times and these soaring dental costs will inevitably result in some people simply not going to the dentist because they can’t afford the fees.
“In recent years we have seen a good number of dental practices in North Wales quitting the NHS, leaving thousands of people without a dentist, now those who are fortunate enough to still be registered with an NHS dentist are facing these rises.
“The Welsh Government have repeatedly said that they do not have the money to invest in NHS dentistry, but the truth of the matter is that for every £1 that's spent on an NHS dentistry episode in England, Wales gets £1.20 to spend here.
“There is a dentistry crisis in North Wales and these price increases will only serve to make the situation worse.”
