NHS Dental Service Updates For Wales: What Dental Practice Owners Need To Know
Welsh Government is proposing significant reforms to NHS dental services in Wales, which may impact your practice. Here is everything you need to know about the proposed changes, set to come into force from April 2026:
The Key Changes
Unified Access: A centralised Dental Access Portal (DAP) will be created, to streamline patient access to NHS dental services by replacing the current, varied entry points.
New Remuneration Model: There will be a move away from the Units of Dental Activity (UDA), to be replaced with a fairer, more transparent payment structure that incentivises preventative care over treatment volume.
Reduced Routine Examinations: Reforms also include a shift towards a needs-based approach, with the focus on seeing patients with higher oral health needs.
Adjusted Patient Charges: To align with the new remuneration model, there will be changes to the way patient fees are structured and collected.
Contractual Updates: Contract terms, including aspects such as parental leave, will be revised. This should modernise and support the dental workforce more fairly.
How Will This Impact Patients?
The changes will see a centralised waiting list, meaning patients with stable oral health will be placed into the DAP and assigned to an available practice for their next routine check-up. Patients may therefore receive their next routine check-up appointment and future treatment from a different dentist, which could negatively impact continuity of care, and losing the long-standing trusting relationship between patients and the dentists they see regularly. The details published do not include any provisions to confirm that patient records, including medical notes and dental x-rays, will be shared between practices.
As part of the key changes, routine check-up intervals will be extended beyond the traditional 6 – 12 months to 18 – 24 months for those patients with stable oral health.
The potential fee increases may also lead to higher costs for some NHS treatments, narrowing the gap between NHS and private fees.
What Should Dental Practices Consider?
Practices will need to adapt to the new remuneration model and reporting requirements, meaning some administrative adjustments may be required. The reform also aims to support workforce wellbeing, yet the changes may not fully address the sector’s concerns about recruitment, retention and financial implications in respect of NHS dental services.
A public consultation is taking place until 19 June 2025, meaning that patients, dental professionals, and stakeholders can provide feedback to help shape the future of NHS dental services in Wales. At JCP Solicitors, we encourage our dental clients to take part in the consultation to ensure your voices are heard.
The specialist healthcare team at JCP Solicitors provides expert legal advice and guidance to dental practices across Wales on all areas of law including sales and acquisitions, incorporations, employment, commercial property, partnership and shareholder arrangements, dispute resolution and specialist health finance for sales and acquisitions.
Our specialist solicitors support dentists across the country to manage all their legal requirements. Rhianydd Llewellyn-Thomas, Director and Head of Healthcare, is proud to be a recently appointed member of NASDAL – the National Association of Specialist Dental Accountants & Lawyers.
For more information, contact our specialist dental team by emailing rhianydd.llewellyn-thomas@jcpsolicitors.co.uk or calling 02920 379571.