Smile, we’re getting top cash for our teeth

Date published: 31 March 2008

Residents in Rochdale should be smiling after it was revealed more money was spent on their teeth than most other areas of the country.

Patients face a postcode lottery which dictates how much is spent on their dental treatment, new figures suggest.

Some patients could expect to have £50 worth of care each year, while others were only receiving the equivalent of £30. But it appears Greater Manchester Health Authority received the third top payout per person at £47.

A report published by the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care revealed spending per head was £39 in the latest available figures for 2005/06 — up from £27 per head in 1997/8.

A Department of Health spokesman said: “This is old data about primary dental care services as they operated before the Government introduced dental reforms in April 2006.

“The inequalities shown in this data were the direct results of the old system where dentists dictated the level and location of NHS services.

“Since April, 2006, dental budgets have been put into the hands of the local NHS to allow them to build sustainable services. Furthermore, an increase of over £2 million has been invested in dental funding allocations for the NHS in 2008/2009.

“The report has shown that in all areas, spending per head of the population had increased by at least 25 per cent between 1997/98 and 2005/06.” The controversial new contracts also saw the introduction of three bands of charges.

The move has been criticised after it was revealed fewer patients have managed to see a dentist after many refused to sign up to the new contracts.

The DoH said inequalities across the country will be rectified.