The British Dental Association (BDA) has lamented confirmation of delays from NHS England on arrangements for the NHS contractual year, staring Friday April 1.

In a short message sent to regional teams this evening, NHS England state, “Confirmation of the 2021/22 year end reconciliation guidance and contractual performance requirements for 2022/23 are being finalised and we will share with commissioners and the profession as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience, and thank you for your continuing work.”

Chair of the BDA’s General Dental Practice Committee, Shawn Charlwood, said, “NHS dentists will head to work in the morning – the first day of the financial year - with no sense of what’s expected of them.

“We're now told details on new contractual arrangements will come ‘as soon as possible’. We have demanded clarity for months, so these delays are frankly unacceptable.

“Whilst NHS England has widely signalled intentions to return to 100 per cent of pre-covid activity, we have continued to press for a reality check, given the huge challenges practices have and continue to face in this quarter.

“It beggars belief that we are now in this situation. Covid infection rates are at near record highs, and thousands of practices are on track to fall short of the current target as it is.

“At the bare minimum practices need the ability to plan. Instead of answers, all colleagues have been offered is a holding message.”

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