Written statement by Health and Social Care Minister Neil
O'Brien
The National Health Service (Dental Charges) (Amendment)
Regulations 2023 (“the Amendment Regulations”) will be laid
before Parliament to increase National Health Service dental
patient charges in England from 24 April 2023.
NHS dental patient charges provide an important revenue source
for NHS dentistry and are typically uplifted on the 1 April each
financial year. The most recent uplift was in December 2020,
delayed from April 2020 due to the impacts of the pandemic.
Whilst there has been no uplift for two years, the cost of
delivering NHS dental care has increased.
From 24 April 2023, dental patient charges in England will
increase by 8.5%. This means that a dental charge payable for a
band 1 course of treatment will rise by £2.00, from £23.80 to
£25.80. For a band 2 course of treatment, there will be an
increase of £5.50 from £65.20 to £70.70. A band 3 course of
treatment will increase by £24 from £282.80 to £306.80.
Details of the revised charges for 2023-24 can be found in the
table below:
|
Band
|
Description
|
From April 2023 (proposed)
|
|
1
|
This band includes examination, diagnosis (including
radiographs), advice on how to prevent future problems,
scale and polish if clinically needed, and preventative
care (e.g. applications of fluoride varnish or fissure
sealant)
|
£25.80
|
|
2
|
This band covers everything listed in band 1, plus any
further treatment such as fillings, root canal work or
extractions
|
£70.70
|
|
3
|
This band covers everything in bands 1 and 2, plus course
of treatment including crowns, dentures, bridges and
other laboratory work
|
£306.80
|
|
Urgent
|
This band covers urgent assessment and specified urgent
treatments such as pain relief or a temporary filling or
dental appliance repair
|
£25.80
|
We will continue to provide financial support to those who need
it most by offering exemptions to the dental patient charges for
a range of circumstances. Patients will continue to be entitled
to free NHS dental care if they are under 18, or under 19 and in
full-time education; pregnant or have had a baby in the previous
12 months; are being treated in an NHS hospital and have their
treatment carried out by the hospital dentist (patients may have
to pay for dentures or bridges); receiving low-income benefits;
or, are under 20 and a dependent of someone receiving low-income
benefits. Support is also available through the NHS Low Income
Scheme for those patients who are not eligible for exemption or
full remission.
Whilst we recognise the 8.5% uplift value is higher than uplifts
to rates of some other government charges, we consider that this
is proportionate, as NHS dental patient charges have been frozen
since December 2020 whilst other similar charges, such as those
for NHS prescriptions, have increased. Dental patients will
benefit from the continued provision that this important revenue
supports. In recognition of access challenges following the
Covid-19 pandemic, the Department of Health and Social Care has
delivered improvements to the NHS dental contract, announced in
July 2022, which will improve access for NHS dental patients and
which are supported by this uplift. These changes include a new
requirement for practices to update the NHS website at least
every 90 days so that patients can more easily see which
practices are accepting new patients. We will set out plans to
improve NHS dentistry shortly. It is important that current and
future work to improve NHS dentistry is not undermined by the
risk of reduced funding as a result of lower NHS dental patient
charge revenue.
