The Government states that the number of NHS dentists has increased over the past year. However, while the headcount has gone up over the past year, it has gone down over the past three years, and moreover headcount alone does not reflect how much NHS work these dentists are undertaking. We heard repeatedly that a lack of dentists and dental care professionals undertaking NHS work is the main driver behind both lack of access to appointments for patients, and the underspend in primary care de...

The Government states that the number of NHS dentists has increased over the past year. However, while the headcount has gone up over the past year, it has gone down over the past three years, and moreover headcount alone does not reflect how much NHS work these dentists are undertaking. We heard repeatedly that a lack of dentists and dental care professionals undertaking NHS work is the main driver behind both lack of access to appointments for patients, and the underspend in primary care dentistry. Type: conclusion | Number: 11 | Paragraph: 67 | Response status: partially_accepted Government response: Accept The Department accepts this recommendation. We agree that efficient processing of applications for the Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) is vital and are working with the GDC to identify the most efficient measures to clear their current registration backlog of dentist and dental care professi