These Regulations amend the National Health Service (General Dental Services) (Scotland) Regulations 1996, which make arrangements under which dentists provide general dental services as part of the National Health Service in Scotland.

Regulation 2 amends the table in regulation 22 of the 1996 Regulations.

Paragraph (a) of that regulation substitutes a new title for determination X, changing it from “Allowance for practice improvements” to “Allowances and grants for practice improvements”. This will enable grants to be made towards practice improvements as well as the making of allowances for such improvements.

Paragraph (b) of that regulation adds a new determination XIII (Recruitment and retention allowances) to the table. Under this determination allowances will be payable to certain categories of practitioner in order to provide incentives for the recruitment and retention of dentists providing general dental services in Scotland.