The variety of dentists treating NHS sufferers has fallen to the bottom degree in a decade, official figures reveal. Some 23,577 carried out well being service work in 2022/23 – down from 24,272 the earlier 12 months.

This was the bottom since 2012/13, when the determine was 23,201. The information was launched by the NHS Business Services Authority following a request below the Freedom of Information Act.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has beforehand pointed to figures for 2021/22 – which confirmed a rise of greater than 500 dentists from the earlier 12 months – as proof that companies had been getting again on monitor.

However, the British Dental Association stated the information confirmed the exodus was in actual fact accelerating.

It known as for an pressing rescue package deal to halt the circulation of employees turning to profitable work in personal follow.

Shawn Charlwood, chair of the BDA’s General Dental Practice Committee, stated: “Government needs to drop the spin, accept the facts, and provide a rescue package to keep this service afloat.

“NHS dentistry is haemorrhaging talent, and further tweaks to a broken system will not stem the flow.” The Government introduced adjustments to the NHS dentistry contract final 12 months.

These included growing the quantity of items of dental exercise (UDA) allotted for sure therapies and making an allowance for the time taken to deal with excessive wants sufferers.

But the BDA claimed this amounted to “minor tweaks” that may not stabilise the service. The minimal UDA degree of £23 rolled out in October was under the extent required for many practices to cowl prices or entice new dentists, it stated.

The affiliation is urging ministers to utilize “underspends” within the dental finances to extend the payout for every UDA accomplished by a follow.

It estimated in February that funds returned by practices not hitting their contractual targets would probably exceed £400million this 12 months.

Mr Charlwood added: “The PM once called for this budget to be ring fenced. We face an access crisis.

“Ministers have a choice. They can help thousands of struggling practices fill vacancies and see patients, or just pass by on the other side.”