Comments on: What is a UDA

By: Istvan

Istvan — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:57:20 +0000

Somebody could tell me please where(on the Net) can I find detailed info about the most recent guidelines for dentist reimbursments in the NHS system. Thanks !

By: Greg

Greg — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:15:27 +0000

From their own published figures, the NHS can be seen to pay a gross of £31.00 per head of population per year for general dentistry in England – the high street dentists in other words. By the time the patient’s contribution is clawed back, the figure is just £22 for each and every one of you FOR A WHOLE YEAR.
Given that a dental surgery has both a dentist and a nurse to pay as well as a load of very expensive equipment and materials, is it any surprise that it’s over £100 an hour for the facility? A country solicitor with a lot lower overheads charges £200 an hour and even some car garages are charging £100 for an hour’s workshop time.
So…. just how much do you think you’ll get for your miserable £20 each year at the dentist?
The government should stop lying to the public with promises of full line, top class dentistry for all under the NHS if it only wants to pay £20 for it.

By: squid

squid — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 21:48:49 +0000

Just been informed that my son now has to wait 8 months to see an orthodontist at the local hospital his dentist has said that’s ok with him…I’m fuming he’s having pains in his teeth due to the fact that he’s got too many!!

By: Mya

Mya — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:21:01 +0000

I personally think the system is very flawed, its like saying to a car salesman to charge a nissan and a porsche for the same price. Everyone will think that is absolutely absurd, yet they do exactly that in nhs dentistry. To be honest, I had a very misguided view of dentistry in the past, thinking all dentists rip you off and just want to make a profit. When in reality that’s not the case, and the nhs prioritize very little money towards this field because they don’t regard it to be very important, and in all honesty much of the population in the UK care very little for their oral health, and don’t see it as a cause of concern until their teeth start to fall out.

By: Abu

Abu — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 20:52:50 +0000

Hi Pete, i am actually a dentist. UDA values vary around the country greatly. Normally ranging from £15-£32 per UDA. This value is calculated primarily on the previous years contract, for instance if you meet your targets your value is maintained, if you however dont meet your targets at the end of the year, value might drop. For instance, a new practice that has a new contract, due to them having no previous history- will be offered in most situations a lower UDA value compared to neighbouring dentists. The UDA value is very flawed, but it is swings and roundabouts as has been said many times. You may as a dentist get paid £75 for a small filling which takes you 10minutes, but moreover there will be times where you will get paid £75 for work that takes you 4 months as Zoita previously mentioned. The system will hopefully be changed, to a capitation scheme, where dentists are renumerated for the total number of patients they see and the quality of their work.

By: Pete

Pete — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 10:02:10 +0000

how are UDAs valued?

By: PGL

PGL — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 21:00:13 +0000

Thankfully in Scotland we still have a “fee per item” system that works well.

By: squid

squid — Tue, 31 May 2011 20:50:43 +0000

My 13 year old son needs to be referred to an orthodontist he has too many lower teeth and an over bite…how will this impact on my NHS dentist financially?

By: fangfarrier

fangfarrier — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 09:04:01 +0000

dentist 2b that under the current rules would be fraudulent. any treatment required diagnosed at the initial planning appointment has to be completed before that course or episode of treatment can be closed. thus you get the farcical situation where a dentist gets paid the same to do a small filling in a small tooth taking 15 mins, as doing long protracted risky complex treatments on many teeth over many months.

Thats like saying to a lawyer he’ll get paid the same to write a simple will, as representing someone in a complex lengthy corporate antitrust case- not going to happen

or asking a doctor to accept the same payment for writing a prescription, and performing an amputation- unlikely

or asking an engineer to accept the same for designing a portaloo and a 6 pillar suspension bridge- dreaming

the current system is a cynical ploy by the government to drive conscientious dentists into the private sector in order to survive, making them look greedy, at the same time maintaining that they are committed to NHS dentistry.

By: Dentist2b

Dentist2b — Sun, 23 May 2010 23:04:02 +0000

The NHS’s new contract is a joke, it’s only a matter of time before it all breaks down to chaos. I always wanted to come work in UK when I graduate from dental school, but seeing how this is progressing I’m having second thoughts. Oh, well.

I have a question to ZOITA: Couldn’t you just label each filling, extraction etc as an OWN TREATMENT and thus be paid for each and every thing you did? I mean you could schedule each extraction at different dates and label them each as a separate treatment?