The British Dental Association (BDA) warned Wednesday that the decision by Chancellor Rachel Reeves to ask the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) to probe private-dentistry pricing is “merely a fig-leaf” for the failure to properly fund the National Health Service (NHS) in England.
Reeves, who is set to unveil her budget next week, wrote to the CMA amid concerns about “hidden costs, lack of transparency and overtreatment,” saying: “That’s why I want to see urgent action taken to help reduce prices, whilst the cost of living still puts pressure on families across the country.”
Related: British man, 36, dies after hair transplant and dental treatment in Turkey
Related: Army warns troops against ‘Turkey teeth’ amid rising dental concerns
‘Utterly perverse’
In response, BDA Chair Eddie Crouch called the call for investigation “utterly perverse,” adding: “The Chancellor is singling out private dentists for doing what any business does: covering their costs, some of which are of the Chancellor’s own making. At the same time, she’s very happy to starve NHS services of vital funding. We’d remind her that profits from private care are all that are keeping NHS dentistry afloat.”
The BDA noted that private dental fees rose by an estimated 13.8 per cent over four years, while cumulative inflation from 2021 onward reached 24.5 per cent — reflecting significant cost pressure for practices.
Meanwhile, a petition backed by more than 120,000 signatories was delivered to government calling on ministers to fill a £1.5 billion (approx. $2.77 billion) funding shortfall to support promised dental-care reform.