Extra cash offered to new dentists for Portsmouth as NHS bosses admit they will struggle to fill city's vacancies

In a bid to make working in the city 'more attractive' a number of incentives for potential dentists have been laid on the table including more money and extended contracts after three practices shut unexpectedly last summer.

Colosseum Dental closed practices in Paulsgrove, Portsea and Southsea last year. Since then two practices owned by Perfect Smile have taken on new patients as a temporary measure.

Representatives from NHS England explained during a Portsmouth health overview and scrutiny panel (Hosp) that nationally there was a shortage in dentists.

Head of primary care for the south east, Julie Booth, said: 'I don't think the major barrier here is premises or costs because that's just what happens. The biggest barriers is getting these dentists.'

Verna Easterby-Smith, clinical commissioning lead for dental provision, agreed. She said: 'Though I hate to mention it we were getting a lot of dentists from Europe.

'At the moment the number of dentists coming from Europe has almost dried up.'

Typically the NHS pays dentists £26 per unit of dental activity (UDA) - which can be claimed based on treatment bands - however, it is offering an increased £28 per UDA.

'When you multiply that by 21,000 patients it comes to a reasonable amount per practice,' Ms Easterby-Smith.

'The other thing with that contract we're offering a “seven plus three” year contract. We hopes it makes it a bit more attractive.'

Councillors had previously requested that replacement dentists were found for two of the city's 'most deprived' areas - Paulsgrove and Portsea - however, the NHS has opened applications for the whole of the north and south of Portsmouth.

Ms Booth said: 'While we fully understand the challengers of the more deprived areas we want to establish good dental surgeries that last. We don't want to end up in this position again.

'We're not saying they won't choose these areas but we need to give ourselves as much choice as possible.'

Ms Easterby-Smith added: 'We listened to feedback from staff. A lot of the workforce is female and some of them have reported “I don’t want to be in that area after dark, I feel threatened, I feel unsafe”.’

Applications for new dental providers opened in February and close at the end of March. NHS England is expecting to have chosen new providers by June.