Earnings collapse a ‘risk’
A decade-long collapse in dentists’ earnings risks the sustainability of Health Service dentistry, BDA Northern Ireland has said in response to a report from NHS Digital. It said since 2008/09, dentists’ earnings have fallen in real terms by 30% for practice owners, while associates have seen their pay cut by 39%.
Richard Graham, Chair of the BDA NI Dental Practice Committee, said: “It’s time the Department of Health addresses the unsustainable financial burden on dentists, as they struggle to provide Health Service dentistry to the population at fees that simply don’t pay.”
