Publication, Part of Dentists' Working Patterns, Motivation and Morale

Dentists' Working Patterns, Motivation and Morale - 2022/23

Publication Date:: 25 Apr 2024

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Introduction

Summary

This report provides headline information on working patterns, motivation, and morale for self-employed primary care dentists in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales for 2022/23. Information on average weekly hours, weeks of annual leave, the division of time between NHS/Health Service and private dentistry, and clinical and non-clinical work, is presented as well as motivation and morale measures.

This report contains high-level working pattern, motivation and morale analysis results with more detailed results presented in a separate interactive Power BI report, an Excel timeseries file and csvs.

The report has been produced by NHS England in consultation with the Dental Working Group which includes representatives from the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, Welsh Government, Department of Health Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Business Services Organisation, Scottish Government, NHS National Services Scotland: Information Services Division, NHS Business Services Authority Information Services, HMRC: Knowledge, Analysis and Intelligence Division, the National Association of Specialist Dental Accountants and Lawyers and the British Dental Association representing the views and interests of dentists.

Although the report contains analysis of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the values are not directly comparable between countries; this is due to differing contractual arrangements as well as the use of different methods to derive dental type in each country.

NHS England welcomes feedback on this publication. Please contact NHS England with your comments and suggestions by email to [email protected] stating ‘Dentists’ Working Patterns, Motivation and Morale’ in the subject heading.

Key Findings:

NHS/Health service activity has fallen across all countries. The biggest drops since the previous survey are in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

In England and Northern Ireland there has been an overall increase in the amount of time dentists spend on clinical work during the last decade, with a very slight decrease in Scotland since the previous survey.

Motivation and morale levels have dropped since the last survey for most dental cohorts in England, Scotland and Wales. However, in Northern Ireland, there has been an increase in the percentage of dentists answering positively to the motivation questions.

The most common contributory factor to low morale for Providing-Performer/Principal dentists is increasing expenses and/or declining income. Recruitment and retention issues have become increasingly prevalent for dentists in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland since the last survey.

Around two-thirds of dentists across the UK often think of leaving dentistry.

Multivariate analysis of the England data shows that the more time dentists spend on NHS work, the lower their levels of motivation. Due to low sample sizes this analysis has not been completed for other countries.