From April 2026, the new contract will replace the long‑criticised “units of dental activity” system, which paid dentists to recall patients every six months regardless of need. Instead, patients will be seen based on their oral health, with those requiring treatment or support given more frequent appointments.
Health Secretary Jeremy Miles MS said the reforms would make NHS dentistry “more accessible, fairer, and sustainable” and stressed that continuity of care – the ability to stay with the same dentist – would be protected following public consultation.
“We have listened to people and it is clear the trust and reassurance which comes with seeing the same dental professional over time is valued. We are making sure this is maintained in the new contract,” he said.
Dentists will also see an increase in NHS payments, with general fee rates rising from £135 to £150 per hour. Patient charges are being simplified, with those who pay contributing 50% of their treatment package value, capped at £384 – down from the 55% originally proposed. Around half the Welsh population is exempt from charges, including children under 18, pregnant women, hospital dental patients and people on certain benefits.
Opposition reaction
The Welsh Conservatives welcomed the U‑turn on controversial plans that would have seen patients allocated a different dentist for each check‑up, but branded the overall package a “sticking plaster solution.”
James Evans MS, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, said:
“Continuity of care, the ability to choose to see your local family dentist, is essential. This Labour Government U‑turn is welcome – but the new NHS contract still has the potential to harm dental patient outcomes in the long‑term.”
He said many families were still struggling to access an NHS dentist at all, and accused Labour of failing to deliver a system that works for patients.
Dentists’ concerns
The British Dental Association (BDA) Cymru acknowledged “some important wins” in the revised contract, but warned that longer recall times – up to 24 months for patients with healthy teeth – could limit the ability to spot early signs of disease, including oral cancer.
Russell Gidney, chair of the BDA’s Welsh General Dental Practice Committee, said:
“There are some important wins here. But plastering over a few of the biggest cracks is just superficial repairs. Ministers are taking forward the biggest changes NHS dentistry in Wales has ever seen via a route that will all but rule out fixes once draft laws reach the Senedd.”
The BDA said reforms are being taken forward under the Senedd’s negative procedure, meaning regulations will be passed or rejected within 40 days without scope for amendment. The professional body warned this “take it or leave it” approach risked locking in flaws.
While the government dropped plans to move low‑needs patients onto a centralised waiting list – a change the BDA said could have ended the “family dentist” model – concerns remain over funding levels, prevention measures, and the true cost of care.
The BDA said that even with fee uplifts, the proposed payments fail to reflect the real cost of delivering NHS dentistry, leaving practices at risk of providing care at a loss or walking away from the service.
Access pressures remain
The number of patients treated by NHS dentists in Wales has yet to return to pre‑Covid levels. In March, figures showed just 33% of the population had received NHS dental treatment in the previous 12 months, compared with around 45% before the pandemic.
What happens next
The new contract will come into force in April 2026, with the Welsh Government promising further investment in preventative care and cluster working between practices.
But with dentists warning of an “impossible workload” and patients still struggling to access basic treatment, the debate over the future of NHS dentistry in Wales looks set to continue.
