certain uncertainty

They’ve progressed through the early rounds by teasing us with a hint of what’s to come, so what have they got up their sleeves to shock and surprise us next? No, I’m not talking about the contestants in Britain’s Got Talent but the other show that kicked off at much the same time and involves the leadership of the country. Admittedly, at the time of writing, it’s not clear if the next round, courtesy of a hung parliament, is another General Election or an emergency budget, but either way, the guessing game about what it will all mean for us goes on.

At least with BGT, we know what’s going to happen. Laughter, tears, the cynicism, the guilty pleasure of being gradually drawn in, then the eventual nod to the Queen from the stage of the Blackpool Opera House. But, exactly what the next Government is going to do to address the budget deficit seems, well, to be anyone’s guess.

Sure there will be cuts. At least everyone seems certain about that. But where? What? Who? Of course, there is the big picture to consider but you can’t blame those of us connected with the industry for trying to assess the likely impact on the smaller world that is dentistry.

As well as the various debates that have raged on GDPUK, I’ve been party to similar discussions with groups of dental business coaches and representatives of service suppliers to the profession like, the Lloyds TSB healthcare team. While there is consensus that life will inevitably get tougher for NHS dentistry, there is disagreement about whether there will be a gradual tightening of the screw or something more dramatic.

Some are confident that a safe haven of sorts is provided by the GDS contracts but that increasing micro management by PCTs to ensure “value for money” will gradually wear down even the most idealistic NHS dentist. Others suggest that the contracts will be torn up, as is possible, in favour of a core service by a new administration emboldened by the depth of the crisis and the prospect of several years until the next election.

Or, take a specific issue such as harmonisation of UDA values. All are agreed that the variation that can be found between practices on the same street, let alone within the same PCT, will not be tolerated for much longer in the current climate. For some, this is a quick win that’s easy to communicate to the general public. For others, this will happen over a three year period.

Where there does seem to be agreement, is the political, economic and regulatory pressures that will build on NHS dentistry can only result in NHS dentists feeling more and more out of control of their practice and their future. For many, now is the time to begin exploring strategies to handle the various scenarios that might unfold in the most beneficial way. Sadly, others will simply take comfort that the here and now seems pretty good even if they find it hard to escape the feeling that they are being manipulated as part of a wider gameplan. Or is that just Britain’s Got Talent?!

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