This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Bursary scheme for dental students
06/09/2006
Details of a new NHS dental bursary scheme were unveiled today.
It will provide £4,000 per year of study to dental undergraduates starting in year two of the course, on condition that recipients are tied into carrying out five years (or part time equivalent) of NHS dental work in Scotland, beginning within one year of graduation.
Students in Year 3, Year 4 and Year 5 will be eligible for a bursary of £4,000 per year of study in return for a four, three and two year tie-in respectively.
Deputy Health Minister Lewis Macdonald said the scheme would give a real incentive to commit to the NHS.
Meeting students at Dundee Dental School he added:
"I am delighted to be able to announce the details of our bursary scheme today. Today's dental students are tomorrow's dentists and the NHS in Scotland is where we want them to work.
"By making NHS dentistry a more attractive option for our graduates we will retain a far higher number within the NHS in Scotland than ever before.
"Our aim is to restore the balance so that patients who want to access NHS dental services can do so, wherever they live in Scotland. Increasing the number of dental students staying within the NHS Scotland is one way in which we will achieve this.
"We have also paid out millions of pounds this year to dentists already working in Scotland to encourage them to remain within the NHS, while at the same time working to attract new dentists to Scotland and building up the salaried dental service.
"We are determined to improve access to NHS dentists. Offering this bursary to our dental students, coupled with all the other actions we are taking, will have a real impact on NHS dental provision across the country. That is good news for patients and good news for the future of NHS dentistry in Scotland."
The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) in conjunction with NHS Education for Scotland (NES) have agreed to administer and fund the scheme nationally using money allocated and guidance issued to them for this purpose from the Executive.
They will exercise de facto control in determining which students are eligible for the scheme, who makes the payments, and how the relationship with the dentist is managed post-graduation.
The cost of the scheme, which will be met from the general dental services allocation, will amount to a maximum of £1.74 million in the first year, rising to £2.28 million by the sixth year of the scheme, and remaining reasonably constant thereafter.
The Dental Action Plan set a target for increasing the number of dentists in Scotland by 50 per year (total of 200) by 2008. We are increasing the number of students being trained at Scotland's dental schools year on year and NHS Boards are looking at innovative ways of recruiting dentists to Scotland, for example international trade fairs.