The National Health Service (General Dental Services Contracts) Regulations 2005

Mandatory services

14.—(1) For the purposes of section 28L of the Act(1) (requirement to provide certain primary dental services), the services which must be provided under a general dental services contract (“mandatory services”) are described in paragraphs (2) to (4).

(2) A contractor must provide to its patients, during the period specified in paragraph (3), all proper and necessary dental care and treatment which includes—

(a) the care which a dental practitioner usually undertakes for a patient and which the patient is willing to undergo;

(b) treatment, including urgent treatment; and

(c) where appropriate, the referral of the patient for advanced mandatory services, domiciliary services, sedation services or other relevant services provided under Part 1 of the Act.

(3) A contractor must provide—

(a) urgent treatment; and

(b) all other services described in paragraph (2),

that are necessary to meet the reasonable needs of its patients during normal surgery hours.

(4) The dental care and treatment referred to in paragraph (2) includes—

(a) examination;

(b) diagnosis;

(c) advice and planning of treatment;

(d) preventative care and treatment;

(e) periodontal treatment;

(f) conservative treatment;

(g) surgical treatment;

(h) supply and repair of dental appliances;

(i) the taking of radiographs;

(j) the supply of listed drugs and listed appliances; and

(k) the issue of prescriptions,

but it does not include additional services.

(1)

Section 28L was inserted into the Act by section 172(1) of the 2003 Act.