Article
A better option for UDAs
I still cannot get my head around the fact that UDAs are still being perceived by the government as the best option. The pilots have all ended with no changes and left us with a system failing both patients and dentists! It is the only system that graduates since 2006 have known, and still, even they can recognize that it is not fit for purpose to provide quality care and a good living. Often, GDPs have to choose between what they would like to do, and what they can afford to do, because time and quick options are essential for UDAs. Many UK graduates simply bide their time until they can get out of this awful system, upskilling to be employable, to then get off the treadmill.
One huge issue now is the shortage of available NHS dentists. This means that many patients are suffering. COVID-19 has also had a massive impact, but if everyone can be entitled to medical care under the NHS, surely this should include dentistry to some extent. I can appreciate dentistry has always been different compared with other services owing to cost to run so ‘free’ in the eyes of the patients is not ever going to be an option like seeing the GP; but, COVID has surely shone a light on the need for an NHS service that will actually serve the population, rather than for patients to be told that they can be on a waiting list for 2 years, or pay to have private treatment. The latter, sadly, is not an option for many, especially with rising living costs. We see many people only use the dentist as an emergency service, but even that has become even more difficult in the current situation.
The only way forward that I can see, is that everyone is on a ‘Denplan type’ set-up, where individuals are entitled to two check-ups per year within the plan, with required treatment paid for additionally. This would ensure that basic needs and screenings for things, such as oral cancer, are met, and that exemptions are kept in place for the under 18s, those on universal credit etc. This means dentists can guarantee their own basic income as a starting point, those who are in high need will pay for the treatment they receive (unless exempt), and incentives for prevention (caries, periodontal diseases and cancers) can be built in, which would hopefully bring a change in people's attitudes about looking after the health of their mouths. This is not a quick fix, but I think everyone hopes UDAs will become a thing of the past, and thinks that the end of the pilots is a very bleak step in the wrong direction.
As Prof Burke mentioned in his Comments, I think sad and disappointed are sentiments shared by many!