The British Dental Association (BDA) has issued a response to the government’s launch of a pre-procurement exercise for “non-van solutions”.

In the government’s ‘NHS Dental Recovery Plan’ published in February 2024, it pledged to help improve access in the “most isolated communities” by providing dental vans.

NHS England’s document, published on April 16, 2024, recognises the “limited availability” of dental vans and the workforce to man them. It asks third parties to explore “other options such as (but not limited to), the provision of non-van solutions, including the use of local facilities for pop-up services.”

The document states, “We are keen to think creatively on how we can best support this target population.”

The professional body has criticised policies such as dental vans. The BDA says dental vans are ideally suited for treating high-needs populations like the homeless. However, the association says the scheme appears to be geared towards giving MPs lines to talk to on the doorstep.

Delivering mainstream care in dental vans is not cost effective, estimated at 2.5 times the cost of high street practice.

A poll of dentists in England by the BDA showed that just three per cent think the plan will result in their practice seeing more NHS patients. Forty-three per cent believe the plan will lead to their practice seeing fewer NHS patients. Only one per cent of respondents believe the plan is capable of meeting the government’s stated objective to provide NHS dental care to ‘all who need it’.

Eddie Crouch, British Dental Association chair, said, “Every MP who boasted to constituents about these vans is going to have to wait on what ‘non-van solutions’ this government can come up with.

“This is pure farce. The prime minister pledged to restore NHS dentistry. The reality is a plan with no new money, no ambition, and now there aren’t even any vans.”

Author: