A UDA is a “Unit of Dental Activity” undertaken by an NHS dentist.
A UDA depends on the type of work undertaken. A dentist is contracted by his PCT (Primary Care Trust) to do a set number of UDAs and dentists have to be within 4% of their targets. If dentists don’t achieve their contracted number of UDAs they are financially penalised by their PCT. If dentists do more than their contracted number of UDAs they don’t get paid any more.
The 3 Band System
This determines what patients pay and the amount of UDAs a dentist gets.
• Band 1 excluding urgent treatment – 1 UDA
• Band 1 urgent treatment only – 1.2 UDAs
• Band 2 – 3 UDAs
• Band 3 – 12 UDAs
• Issue of prescription – 0.75 UDA
• Repair of dental appliance (denture) – 1 UDA
• Repair of dental appliance (bridge) – 1.2 UDAs
• Removal of stitches – 1 UDA
• Stopping bleeding – 1.2 UDAs
Band 1
Diagnosis, treatment planning and maintenance
Examination, x-rays, scale and polish, preventative work, for example an assessment of a patient’s oral health, minor changes to dentures.
Band 2
Treatment
Simple treatment, for example fillings (including root canal treatment), extractions and periodontal (gum) treatment.
Band 3
Complex treatment that includes a lab element, for example bridges, crowns and dentures (excludes mouth guards).
Urgent treatment
Examination, x-rays, dressings. Re-cementing crowns which have become loose, up to two extractions and one filling.
A UDA is variable, one UDA might be worth anywhere between £15 and £25, but can be more than this or less. The actual UDA varies according to where in the country a dentist is located (although it might vary street to street) and the amount of work previously carried out by the dentist before the new contract. It is thought that the more desperate a PCT is for NHS dentists, the more a UDA might be worth.
What does this mean for the dentist?
Example – One Crown
A dentist is allocated 12 UDAs for doing a crown. So if the UDA is valued at £25 it means a dentist is paid £300 for doing one crown (£25 x 12 UDAs). If a dentist does 2 or 3, or more crowns he still only gets paid £300 even though he has a lot more lab work to pay for.
Example – Several fillings, x-rays, scale and polish
A dentist is allocated 3 UDAs for doing the above work, so a dentist is paid £75 (£25 x 3 UDAs).
Example – One filling
A dentist is allocated 3 UDAs for one filling, so a dentist is paid £75 (£25 x 3 UDAs)
Example – One extraction
A dentist is allocated 3 UDAs for one extraction, so a dentist is paid £75 (£25 x 3 UDAs)
Example – Root filling (a complex and time consuming process to do properly)
A root filling might take 1-2 hours or more. A dentist is allocated 3 UDAs for a root filling so a dentist is paid £75 (£25 x 3 UDAs)
So as you can see from the above there is a problem. There is no incentive to do a root filling when a dentist gets paid the same for an extraction.
Well at least now I fully understand why I always go back to my home country when I need to see a dentist! This is absolutely ridiculous.
How about we let Dentists pick up the whole tab for their training if they are not going to work positively with the NHS?
Well Mark maybe you should pay back the cost of your education to! oh yes and the Bankers, accountants, Lawyers, Entreperneurs, not forgetting the politicians. Of course dentists pay for their education they pay TAX like all of us! second thoughts perhaps you should be asking for a refund as your education was obviously flawed or at least lacking!
Dentists are under paid and undervalued, unless you are in pain when you expect immediate treatment! if we continue to pay them through this flawed UDA system only the good ones will only work privately and NHS customers will be reliant on imported overseas trained denitists, after all as with most things in life “you get what you pay for”
Oh and before you ask! no I am not a dentist or even in the industry! I am just a patient, my last word is clean you teeth and value them!