A rotten idea

Botched Tory dental 'rescue plan' may end up with fewer patients being seen

- MARTIN BAGOT

THE Tory dental recovery plan could lead to fewer patients being seen on the NHS, experts warned yesterday.

No 10 claimed it will result in 2.5 million more appointments being delivered yet has refused to publish the modelling behind this.

But it was yesterday revealed the botched reforms come with no new funding.

The British Dental Association says the "new patient premium", of up to £50 per treatment, will come from dentists' existing NHS contract amount.

So the extra paid to them for new patients will result in them seeing fewer patients overall.