NHS dental payment reform: equality impact assessment

Key Findings

The EQIA found that people with protected characteristics are more likely to have poor oral health and therefore more likely to require dental treatment. Whilst the new policy will help to improve oral health, the increased cost of dental treatment will be experienced by all patients who pay for their dental treatment during a cost of living crisis. The EQIA found that this may affect patients with protected characteristics to a greater extent compared to the general population.

However, evidence shows that people who fall under a protected characteristic generally have lower incomes than the rest of the population and therefore will be more likely to be exempt from paying for their dental treatment than those who do not fall within the protected characteristics.

The EQIA found that payment reform will have an overall positive impact on those patients with protected characteristics as access to NHS dental services will improve, and prevent the emergence of a two-tiered dental service where only people who are able to afford private care can access oral health treatment.

The improved access to dental services will benefit those who currently have difficulties accessing dental services. This includes refugees who may have experienced difficulties registering with a dental practice, and older people who are more likely to live in rural areas where access to NHS dental services can currently be challenging.

Other positive impacts on the protected characteristics include that the simplified system will be easier to understand for patients who do not have English as a first language. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding will also benefit from this policy as there will no longer be a prior approval requirement for this group to receive composite fillings and therefore patients in this group will receive this type of treatment sooner than they are currently able to.