NHS dentists earn over £200k pa in London

Two NHS dentists in London earned more than £200,000 in a year, figures reveal.

A freedom of information request showed that the pair from Hounslow made more than twice the national average of £89,000.

The snapshot survey was done two months after it emerged that at least 5,200 dentists nationwide - about one in four - are making more than £100,000. It sparked an outcry from campaigners over NHS dentists' pay, which has grown since new contracts were brought in three years ago.

They are paid for the procedures they carry out rather than for the numbers of patients on their books. The number of complex treatments carried out has since fallen and only 58.3 per cent of the population saw an NHS dentist in the two years ending in March.

The disparity in dentists' wages is highlighted in Hounslow, where the average salary is about £66,000. The pair earned £218,000 and £216,000.

John Lister, of London Health Emergency, said: "This amount of money is becoming ridiculous. Dentistry has been a disaster for successive governments. It is the only area of the NHS where people expect to pay a lump of money. No other area of the health service can get away with that.

"A lot of those dentists are being paid private sector salaries to retain them in the NHS. This formula is clearly not working. We have people who cannot get access to an NHS dentist. There are huge inequalities in what dentists are paid, when the service is still not delivering proper and accessible care."

Critics of the contract say dentists have boosted their earnings by inviting patients back for needless check-ups.

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "You can't blame dentists for making the most of things, but the Department of Health has made a total mess of the contract negotiations."

A British Dental Association spokesman said: "Dentists are highly trained, caring clinicians who have worked hard to try to overcome the problems posed by the 2006 contract. Many continue to contend with the uncertainty of clawback of their contract values because they were unable to meet targets.

"Dentists, almost uniquely in the NHS, carry the business risk of their surgeries and are responsible for premises, equipment and staff."