The coalition Government’s plans for modernisation of the NHS centre on improving quality of care and patient outcomes. As part of this, 62 dental practices selected from around England trialled a new dental contract during summer 2011, aimed at improving the quality of patient care and increasing access to NHS dental services, in particular ensuring improvement in the oral health of children.
For the first time, dentists will be paid for the quality of the treatment they give rather than the number of treatments provided. The new contract is based around capitation, registration and quality. Dentists have been given guidelines on how to deliver this new emphasis on quality and patients will be provided with security of receiving continuing care through a focus on patient registration with practices.
Three different models were piloted to help better inform the development of the new national contract. The pilot trials are to be assessed after an initial period of one year, with scope to extend them where they are successful, until the new contract is ready in its final form.
The new contract requires legislation because of changes to the patient charge system, a process which will take time, and therefore a new contract is not expected until April 2014, if the legislation is approved by Parliament.
