{"id":454031,"date":"2026-03-02T19:16:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T19:16:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/454031\/"},"modified":"2026-03-02T19:16:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T19:16:08","slug":"newtown-dentist-warns-system-in-powys-at-breaking-point","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/454031\/","title":{"rendered":"Newtown dentist warns system in Powys ‘at breaking point’"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n Mohammed Malik, who runs Clifton Dental Practice in Newtown<\/a>, says underfunding and rigid targets are pushing practices to breaking point.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n Dr Malik qualified as a dentist in 2021 and took over the predominantly NHS practice, off New Road, in 2024, alongside his lifelong friend, Dr Usman Ahmed.\n<\/p>\n

\n They wanted to continue serving the community with NHS care, but two years on, they believe the current contract makes community care increasingly difficult to deliver that care.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cThe system isn\u2019t failing because dentists are walking away \u2013 it\u2019s failing because the structure makes it almost impossible to keep going,\u201d said Dr Malik.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cYet, increasingly, dentists are portrayed as the villains in the story of NHS dentistry \u2013 accused of abandoning the NHS, prioritising private work and turning patients away.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Under the NHS dental contract in Wales, practices are funded through activity-based targets known as Units of Dental Activity (UDAs). Dentists say these targets value numbers over outcomes, and once a practice reaches a quarter of its UDA goal, extra treatment brings no additional funding.\n<\/p>\n

\n The fear, that the dental system in Powys could be on the brink of collapse, has been raised by Mohammed Malik, who owns the Clifton Dental Practice in Newtown. (Image: Matt Jones)\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWork beyond the minimum requirement is often effectively unpaid,\u201d Dr Malik explained. \u201cIt\u2019s arithmetic, not healthcare.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cSuccess is measured not by overall oral health outcomes, but by hitting those figures. The flaw in this structure is stark.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIn Wales, a practice is required to achieve only 25 per cent of its UDA target to secure its contract value. Once reached, additional treatment does not generate further payment.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cThis creates a system where activity is measured, but meaningful treatment is not necessarily supported.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Mohammed Malik, of Clifton Dental Practice in Newtown. (Image: Supplied)\n<\/p>\n

\n In Powys, communication with health boards can be inconsistent, and rising costs for staff, materials and laboratory work means NHS treatments are often delivered at a loss.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cMany of us chose to run NHS practices because we believe in public dentistry,\u201d said Dr Malik. \u201cBut goodwill alone can\u2019t keep a practice open.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cAs healthcare professionals, we repeatedly raise concerns that NHS dentistry across the UK is in serious decline. In parts of Powys, it feels perilously close to collapse.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cThis is not dramatic language; it is the lived experience of practitioners trying to balance patient care with financial viability.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Dentists across the county<\/a> are now calling for transparency and meaningful reform of the system.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIf the current model continues, NHS dentistry in Powys won\u2019t just be struggling \u2013 it could collapse altogether,\u201d warned Dr Malik.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cMany of us chose to run NHS practices because we believe in public dentistry,\u201d said Mohammed Malik. \u201cBut goodwill alone can\u2019t keep a practice open.” (Image: Matt Jones)\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe are not seeking to abandon the NHS. Many of us chose to buy NHS-focused practices precisely because we believe in public healthcare. We want it to succeed. But good intentions cannot compensate for structural flaws.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe need transparency about how contracts operate, honest conversations about funding, and a shift away from models that reward activity figures while neglecting long-term oral health outcomes.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cDentists are not the problem. We are an essential part of the solution. But solutions require structural change, not just improved numbers on a report.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cSupport the system properly, or be prepared to accept responsibility for its decline.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n A Welsh Government spokesperson said: \u201cThe new contract arrangements are the result of extensive negotiations with the British Dental Association (BDA) and the NHS.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe have consulted widely on the proposed changes, listened to feedback and worked with the profession to make improvements based on that feedback.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe have published clear operational guidance, which was developed with the BDA. The regulations put all that work into law.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cFrom April 1, Wales will have a new dental contract with patient, preventative care and public health at its heart.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIt will take dentists off the current treadmill contract and pay them for the time they spend providing treatment. This is what the dental profession has asked for.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe are proud to have developed this in partnership with the BDA, the NHS and the people of Wales.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mohammed Malik, who runs Clifton Dental Practice in Newtown, says underfunding and rigid targets are pushing practices to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":454032,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[102,2960,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-454031","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-health","tag-healthcare","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/454031","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=454031"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/454031\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/454032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=454031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=454031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=454031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}