The National Health Service (Dental Charges) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
The National Health Service (Dental Charges) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, effective April 1st, 2025, increase several NHS dental treatment charges in England.
These increases, specified in Regulation 2, amend the 2005 Regulations to adjust charges for Bands 1, 2, and 3 treatments.
The explanatory note justifies the changes as routine inflation adjustments, asserting that a full impact assessment is unnecessary due to the lack of policy changes and continued eligibility for exemptions.
Arguments For
Intended benefits: These charge increases align with inflation, ensuring the financial sustainability of NHS dental services.
Evidence cited: The explanatory note states that this is a routine uplift in line with inflation, implying existing evidence supports the need for adjustments.
Implementation methods: The regulations directly amend the existing 2005 Regulations, providing a clear and straightforward implementation mechanism.
Legal/historical basis: The regulations are made under the powers conferred by sections 176(1) and (2) and 272(7) and (8) of the National Health Service Act 2006, providing a firm legal foundation.
Arguments Against
Potential impacts: Increased dental charges may hinder access to care for vulnerable populations, potentially worsening oral health inequalities.
Implementation challenges: While the implementation is straightforward, ensuring consistent application across all NHS dental practices may present administrative challenges.
Alternative approaches: Exploring alternative funding models or targeted subsidies for low-income patients might mitigate the impact of increased charges while maintaining service sustainability.
Unintended effects: Higher charges may lead to delayed treatment, resulting in more severe and costly dental problems in the long run.
- Citation, commencement, extent and application (1) These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Dental Charges) (Amendment) Regulations 2025. (2) These Regulations come into force on 1st April 2025. (3) These Regulations extend to England and Wales, and apply in relation to England only.
This section establishes the citation, effective date, and geographical scope of the regulations.
The regulations are officially titled, they take effect on April 1st, 2025, and apply specifically to England, while extending their reach to include Wales.
- Amendment of the National Health Service (Dental Charges) Regulations 2005 (1) The National Health Service (Dental Charges) Regulations 2005 are amended as follows. (2) In regulation 4 (calculation of charges)— (a) in paragraphs (1) and (5), for “£26.80” substitute “£27.40”; (b) in paragraph (2), for “£73.50” substitute “£75.30”; (c) in paragraphs (3) and (4), for “£319.10” substitute “£326.70”.
This section details the specific amendments to the 2005 regulations.
It directly modifies the charges for different bands of dental treatment.
The charges for Band 1 treatments increase from £26.80 to £27.40, Band 2 from £73.50 to £75.30, and Band 3 from £319.10 to £326.70.
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Stephen Kinnock Minister of State Department of Health and Social Care 7th March 2025
This section provides the signature and authority for the regulations, confirming their official approval and issuance by the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Social Care.
Explanatory Note (This note is not part of the Regulations) These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Dental Charges) Regulations 2005 (“the 2005 Regulations”). The 2005 Regulations specify the amounts of patient charges levied for NHS dental treatments in England. Regulation 2 makes amendments to regulation 4 of the 2005 Regulations to increase the charges for dental treatments. Regulation 2(2)(a) amends paragraphs (1) and (5) of regulation 4 of the 2005 Regulations to increase the charges payable for Band 1 courses of treatment, including for urgent treatments, from £26.80 to £27.40. Regulation 2(2)(b) amends paragraph (2) of regulation 4 of the 2005 Regulations to increase the charges payable for Band 2 courses of treatment from £73.50 to £75.30. Regulation 2(2)(c) amends paragraphs (3) and (4) of regulation 4 of the 2005 Regulations to increase the charges payable for Band 3 courses of treatment, including the supply of dental appliances, from £319.10 to £326.70. A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as this is a routine uplift of patient charges for NHS dental treatment in line with inflation. There is no change to the general policy, and the eligibility for exemptions to the patient charges remains unchanged from previous years. It has been determined that a full impact assessment is therefore not required.
The explanatory note clarifies the purpose and rationale behind the regulations.
It reiterates the changes to the 2005 regulations, increasing charges for various dental treatment bands.
The note justifies the omission of a full impact assessment, citing routine inflation adjustments and the absence of policy changes.
The eligibility criteria for charge exemptions remain unchanged.