Dentists are misleading patients into paying for treatment that is covered by the NHS, a major investigation has found.
According to a report by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), around 500,000 patients a year are given inaccurate information by dentists about their entitlement to some procedures on the NHS.
As a result they may pay more for private work, according to a new report into the £5.73bn UK dentistry market.
The OFT study found that patients have insufficient information to make informed decisions about their choice of dentist and the dental treatments they receive. People are paying up to £360 for root canal treatment that costs £48 on the NHS.
The report that 39% of patients at NHS dentists in the past two years had not seen any leaflets or posters telling them what their NHS charges should be.
Health Minister Lord Howe welcomed the results of the study, saying: “Denying patients care on the basis of misinformation is a very serious matter – any dentist that does this risks breaching their contract and we would expect the local NHS to take action.”
“This study has highlighted that the current NHS dental contract in England may well not be working in the best interests of patients,” said John Fingleton, the Chief Executive of OFT.
“We also unearthed evidence that some patients may be receiving deliberately inaccurate information about their entitlement to NHS dental treatment, and we expect to see robust action taken against such potential misconduct by dentists,” he added.
The report also raises concerns about continued restrictions preventing patients from directly accessing dental care professionals, such as hygienists, without a referral from a dentist. The OFT considers these restrictions to be unjustified and likely to reduce patient choice and dampen competition.
