Immigration rules change will deepen access crisis

Proposed changes to immigration rules will have a direct impact on patient access to dental care across the country, warns the British Dental Association (BDA).

In an open letter to Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, and Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, the BDA stresses that the abrupt removal of key roles – both medical and dental technicians (code 3213) and dental nurses (6113) – from eligibility for the skilled worker visa from 22 July will exacerbate shortages in a wide range of roles including dental therapists, dental hygienists, orthodontic therapists, and dental nurses.

Changes will also have knock-on effects on the supply of dentists, given these codes are often used by overseas qualified dentists to work in other dental roles while waiting to sit the professional registration exams which are highly oversubscribed and can take years to complete.

“This is simply not the way to reduce the overreliance on overseas talent, as training new members clearly won’t happen overnight,” warns BDA chairman, Eddie Crouch.

“Everyone agrees we should be focused on building home-grown talent, but this cliff-edge approach is careless and will be felt by patients the length and breadth of this country.”

The BDA has called for both occupational codes 3213 and 6613 to be retained in the Immigration Rules without changes so that individuals currently applying for visas will receive them.

Failing this, it will be pressing for these codes to appear in the new temporary shortage list as of 22 July.