Speaking in the House of Commons earlier this week, Kevin Barron said that the new dental contract had ‘failed to provide dentists with sufficient financial incentives to provide preventive advice'.
He called for the system of payments to be overhauled, and for the DoH to consider ‘introducing payments based on quality and outcomes frameworks, such as we have in parts' of general practice.
‘In those areas, people who have long-term conditions are being managed on the basis that GPs are providing such treatment,' he added. ‘We believe that this is something that should be looked at.'
Mr Barron has previously criticised the QOF for forcing GPs to focus on national priorities. He has called for PCTs to develop local QOFs to reflect their own priorities.
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