NHS dentists are set to receive a 4% pay rise following a government announcement on 22 May 2025.
The rise was confirmed by the Department of Health and Social Care, who noted that the increase will be backdated to 1 April 2025.
Funding will come from the government, who also are applying the 4% raise to consultants, specialty doctors, specialists and GPs.
This beats out the rising inflation rate, which jumped to 3.5% in April, but the British Dental Association (BDA) warned on their website that it “will do little to halt the exodus from NHS dentistry”, as they placed importance on the funding of care delivery.
The BDA went further, stating that the 4% uplift does little to undo the real terms decrease of over 40% in NHS dentists pay since 2010.
As reported in The Guardian, the government had previously stated that the most they could stretch to in public sectors was a 2.8% climb for 2025-26.
With the 3.5% rise in inflation, the jump was enough for Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to note it was a back-to-back above-inflation increase. He called it “another indication of how we want to work with you in our shared ambition to rebuild the NHS.” This follows his damning indictment, just months ago, that NHS dentistry was at death’s door, as seen in Dentistry.
A 4% pay increase will be well received by some, and the Government is actively seeking further insight into the struggles facing NHS dentists in a survey they launched on 16 May.
>Since you’re here, why not read about the survey published on 16 May by the Department of Health and Social Care?
Main image credit: Pixabay
