Proposed DFT pay cuts abandoned

The British Dental Association’s (BDA) Northern Ireland office has received notice that the Stormont Assembly government is backing down on its proposed £2,000 pay cuts for foundation dentists.

Following a recent victory on cuts to the salaries of foundation dentists in England and Wales, the BDA has been informed that the devolved administration intends to ‘maintain parity’ for their counterparts in Northern Ireland.

Peter Crooks, chair of the Northern Ireland Dental Practice Committee, said:  ‘Last month our BDA campaign scored a victory for new practitioners in England and Wales. And now recently graduated dentists in Northern Ireland are receiving similar good news.

‘From the start we’ve been clear with Stormont. This cut was a cynical attack on dentists at the start of their careers, as well as putting the future oral health in Northern Ireland at risk.

‘No government should try balancing the books off the backs of young dentists. Once again we are showing that together we are stronger, and the BDA will stand up to attacks on pay and conditions whenever they are threatened.’