A major Scots dental provider has said it will be able to offer places for 12,000 new NHS patients in the coming year after a major recruitment drive.
Clyde Munro said it was acting in response to escalating demand for dental services across the country.
New registrations will be taken in five health boards: Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Ayrshire and Arran, Lanarkshire, Highlands, and Lothian.
Despite the reformed payment system which was rolled out in Scotland on November 1 2023, which aimed to incentivise dentists to stay in the NHS through increased funding, new statistics from the British Dental Association (BDA) show almost 82% of NHS dentists in Scotland are no longer accepting new patients and 83% are planning to reduce their NHS numbers.
In the past year, Clyde Munro has established the Scottish dental sector’s first dedicated in-house recruitment team that it says is committed to attracting and retaining "top-tier talent" and 94 new practitioners have been appointed.
The firm said dentists are given the option to work in a location that suits their lifestyle, with increased support and access to industry-leading resources.
Jim Hall, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Clyde Munro said: “As Scotland's leading dental group, we recognise our responsibility to support dental patients across the country, given the ongoing crisis facing NHS dentistry.
"Behind the scenes, we've been working tirelessly to prepare for this moment, ensuring that we're fully equipped to welcome new NHS patients.
"Since our dedicated in-house recruitment team was established, we have recruited 94 clinicians which will have a positive impact on the wider sector.
"Our success in securing talent has only been made possible by our investment in skills development and training and our dedication to digital dentistry and world-leading technologies, all of which ensure dentists in Scotland are less likely to look to other countries or private practices.”
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Clyde Munro said it has invested £2.5 million in 75 innovative digital scanners, digital learning, development tools and a purpose-built skills academy that aims to bring cutting-edge specialists and skills to Scottish dentistry.
It said this allows dentists to offer more advanced procedures and digital technologies with improved accuracy and efficiency, creating shorter waiting times and increased availability for appointments across the board.
Mr Hall said: “While we prioritise the retention of the exceptional dentists we already have across the group, it’s equally as important that we work with young dentists to support them on the transition from university to working in general practice.
"Our Flying Start programme provides young dentists with practical career, finance, and business advice alongside dental skills development, while our Best Foot Forward programme supports Vocational Training Dentists in their career progression.
“NHS dentistry is invaluable to the people of Scotland, and we are absolutely committed to providing those services to our patients across the group.”
Prospective patients are being encouraged to enquire by calling their local practice or submitting an online enquiry form.
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