Facing widespread frustration over current system pressures, delegates endorsed two key motions urging the Westminster Government to review the newly reformed dental contract in Wales and learn directly from its shortcomings.
Lauren Harrhy, a Gwent LDC representative, stated that the implementation was so poorly managed by the Welsh Government that dentists did not even know what to charge patients on the day the contract launched. She said the new Welsh contract has triggered severe operational problems. These include software discrepancies, the rejection of multiple NHS claims, ambiguous claiming rules, and a distinct lack of support for dental laboratories.
Lauren emphasised that many of these issues could have been avoided had the scheme been piloted over six to 12 months. Instead, the Welsh Government imposed the contract on practices without any prior testing, placing the full commercial risk onto practice owners and associates.
Delegates also targeted budget transparency, voting unanimously in favour of a motion calling for a clear distinction between genuine underspends and non-commissioned underspends when official figures are published. Speaking to the motion, Ian Gordon from North Yorkshire LDC warned of the damage caused by political rhetoric. "When the health minister stands up in the House and quotes figures that are at best confusing and at worst misleading, it creates misinformation as to the direction NHS dentistry is heading," Ian said."Clarity is all we are asking for rather than smoke and mirrors that often accompany these figures when they are released."
Rising workplace aggression was another major focus. The conference backed a motion calling on the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to establish a comprehensive zero-tolerance framework for abuse towards dental teams. This framework should introduce standardised reporting, contractual support to remove abusive patients, staff support mechanisms, and a public campaign reinforcing that abuse will not be tolerated.
Proposing the motion, Ahmad Tadmory from Birmingham LDC shared a disturbing personal experience of a patient who rushed to attack him upon learning he could not have dentures fitted immediately after having teeth extracted. Ahmad noted that while most patients are entirely respectful, the impact of these isolated incidents on staff morale remains profound.
The conference also tackled the rise of overseas companies marketing dental tourism to prospective patients in the UK. Concerns were raised by Birmingham LDC about international firms hosting promotional events here where clinical assessments appear to be taking place. Consequently, delegates overwhelmingly supported a motion, presented by Ahmad Tadmory, calling on the GDC and the DHSC to enforce strict rules on the domestic promotion of overseas treatments. This proposed regulation, he said, should mandate the disclosure of regulatory status, indemnity insurance, and complaints procedures. It should also strictly prohibit any clinical assessments or advice being offered in the UK by individuals not lawfully registered to practise here.
Compassion in regulation was another core theme, with some motions receiving unanimous backing. This included a plea for the GDC to refund the remainder of the annual retention fee (ARF) to registrants under exceptional circumstances. Jason Stokes from Norfolk LDC shared a moving account of a colleague and main family breadwinner who paid their ARF in good faith, only to receive a terminal diagnosis shortly after. Despite contacting the GDC before the 31 December deadline to request a partial refund, the request was refused.
Financial protections for associates were also addressed. Delegates carried a motion calling on the NHS to explore paying maternity benefits directly to performers. Rebekah Hadley (Wakefield LDC) highlighted cases where a practice lost its NHS contract while an associate was on maternity leave, causing the dentist to lose their maternity pay entirely.
Finally, the conference voted to demand the reinstatement of seniority payments for dentists providing NHS care, based on their years of committed service. It was argued that rewarding loyalty could boost retention. Offering a contrast to the situation in England, Lauren Harrhy, a BDA board member, noted that seniority pay is still maintained for NHS dentists in Wales. She revealed that the Welsh Government had attempted to abolish the scheme, but we successfully intervened to secure its continuation.
As for conference election results, Toby Hancock from West Sussex LDC was elected as chair for the LDCs’ annual conference in 2028. Peter Hodgkinson, of Tees LDC, was re-elected as treasurer, unopposed. The successful candidates for the honorary auditor positions were Shiv Pabary of North Tyne LDC and Mark Haigh of Gateshead and South Tyneside LDC. Ranjit Singh Chohan of Birmingham LDC succeeded in being elected to the post of conference representative to the general dental practice committee. Sarah Canavan of Northampton LDC was elected to the British Dental Guild Board of Managers.