Save NHS dentistry and make it fit for the 21st century: Sign the petition

As a dental nurse, you’ll know that NHS dentistry faces a crisis like no other in its history.

So BADN – the UK’s professional association for dental nurses - are joining forces with the British Dental Association, the Daily Mirror and 38 Degrees to tell the government we need real reform in NHS dentistry now.

Working on the frontline, you will have seen the frustration from patients who can’t access their care they need. The Government’s recovery plan does not go anywhere near far enough to deal with the scale of this crisis, or help NHS dentistry stay afloat. It ignores the fact that clinicians cannot work without dental nurses, so increasing the number of clinicians without improving the salary levels, career opportunities and support offered to dental nurses – the largest registrant group in dentistry – in order to make dental nursing an attractive career, recruit new dental nurses and keep those who are still working in the NHS, just wont work!  The NHS has to recognise the role played by dental nurses in providing oral healthcare by offering them NHS ID, salary scales and access to NHS staff benefits, such as the NHS pension scheme.  Lobby your MP now! (Letter templates are available on the BADN website www.badn.org.uk).

The BADN response to the Dental Recovery Plan is available here – see also a press release about BADN’s meeting with officials of the Department of Health & Social Care here.  And the BADN response to the recent Nuffield policy briefing on NHS Dentistry here.

As a first step, please sign and ask as many patients and colleagues to sign the petition – it doesn’t address the dental nurse issue, but it’s a start!

LINK https://38d.gs/SaveNHSDentistry

or

Sign the petition here