Is Dental Foundation Training succeeding in producing general dental practitioners with aspirations of a future career primarily within NHS dentistry? A qualitative study involving dentists who completed Dental Foundation Trainees (DFT) from 2020 to 2021 and 2021 to 2022 from the Health Education England (HEE) schemes in England investigating which feelings and experiences of the DFT in their training year promoted or discouraged intentions of pursuing a full-time career in NHS general dental practice

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Upon completion of dental foundation training (DFT), the foundation trainee (FT) will, in the majority, be expected to start in independent general practice. The main pathway into general practice will be via NHS dentistry for most foundation trainees. Due to poor access to NHS dentistry by the public and surveys showing NHS practices having problems recruiting dentists, does this mean the newly qualified dentists are shunning NHS dentistry for the private pathway? The study would like to explore whether the DFT year's experiences and interactions influence the foundation trainee's choice to work within the NHS primarily long-term or opt for a more significant career in the private contingent. Aims to determine whether, by the end of the DFT, which beliefs/perceptions/experiences have reinforced or diminished the trainee's desire to work mainly within NHS general dental practice. Materials and methods The research method was a cross-sectional survey involving a qualitative questionnaire submitted to a sample of recently completed foundation trainees in HEE England who completed their DFT in 2020 to 2021 and 2021 to 2022 cohorts via WhatsApp (Mobile Messaging App). The researcher will conduct the data analysis using a thematic style analysis to develop codes and generate subthemes, resulting in significant themes grounded within the participant's data. Results We identified three major themes within the data: NHS remuneration is inadequate for the work and time required to treat patients with high-quality care all the time, high workload and stress/pressure of NHS dentistry are causing a drop in standards of care in some cases and poor job satisfaction most of the time, and NHS GDP dentists' main aim is to achieve their Unit of Dental Activity(UDA) targets for the year. The main issues noted were that NHS dentists were overworked, underpaid and on a treadmill chasing their UDA targets at the expense of patient care and job satisfaction. Conclusion Most participants did not see NHS dentistry as a significant portion of their working life within 2 to 3 years after completing DFT and would look to focus on private dentistry. They felt that the current NHS contract was not fit for purpose due to the high workload, UDA treadmill and poor remuneration compared to the private sector. This is a significant problem for the government as NHS dentistry is currently in a state of crisis due to some patients being unable to access an NHS dentist. If the majority of the future workforce does not see its career within the NHS, then NHS dentistry is in a precarious position if the government does not look at contract reform of the current NHS dental contract sooner rather than later.