The National Health Service (Primary Dental Services and Dental Charges) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026

18 Amendment to Schedule 2 (provision of services: units of dental activity and units of orthodontic activity)

(1) Schedule 2 (provision of services: units of dental activity and units of orthodontic activity) is amended as follows. (2) In the shoulder reference, after “Regulations 13” insert “, 13B”. (3) In paragraph 1(1), at the beginning, for “Where” substitute “Subject to paragraph 1A of this Schedule, where”. (4) After paragraph 1(1), insert— (1A) Subject to paragraph 1A of this Schedule, where a contractor provides a complex care pathway the contractor provides the number of units of dental activity to be calculated in accordance with the appropriate row in Table D. . (5) After paragraph 1(2), insert— (2A) Where the course of treatment provided is a complex care pathway and is commenced but not completed for any reason, the appropriate number of units of dental activity provided shall be calculated on the basis of the monthly declarations provided by the contractor, as described in paragraphs 39A to 39D of Schedule 3. . (6) In paragraph 1(3), in the words after paragraph (b)— (a) after “provide,”, insert “or for a complex care pathway on the basis of declarations provided,”; (b) omit “banded”. (7) After paragraph 1, insert— 1A (1) Where the contractor provides either or both of the treatments specified in sub-paragraph (4) in addition to one or more of the treatments set out in paragraphs 2A(a) to (k) and (n) to (t), 2B or 2C of this Schedule as part of a course of treatment, the contractor provides a maximum of 2.0 units of dental activity in addition to the number of units of dental activity specified in the appropriate row of Table A. (2) Where the contractor provides a complex care pathway, they may provide— (a) either or both of the treatments specified in sub-paragraph (4), in which case an additional 2 units of dental activity are provided; (b) a repair of a dental appliance (denture), in which case the units of dental activity as specified in the first row of Table B are provided, during the complex care pathway, but the additional units described in either (a) or (b) may only be provided once in addition to the number of units of dental activity for the complex care pathway to be calculated in accordance with the appropriate row of Table D. (3) Where the contractor provides one or more of the treatments specified in sub-paragraph (4) during a Band 3 course of treatment, these will be provided as part of that banded course of treatment. (4) The treatments referred to in sub-paragraphs (1) to (3) are— (a) relining and rebasing dentures including soft linings; (b) addition of tooth, clasp, labial or buccal flange to dentures. (5) Where the contractor provides a repair of a dental appliance (denture) as specified in the first row of Table B during a Band 3 course of treatment, the denture repair will be provided as part of the Band 3 course of treatment. (6) Where the contractor provides to a patient during, or within three months of the completion of, a complex care pathway, one or more of the treatments specified in sub-paragraph (7), and a Band 3 course of treatment, the contractor provides the units of dental activity as specified in the last row of Table A in addition to the units of dental activity for the complex care pathway as specified in the appropriate row of Table D. (7) The treatments referred to in sub-paragraph 6 are— (a) repair of a dental appliance (denture) as specified in the first row of Table B; (b) relining and rebasing dentures including soft linings; (c) addition of tooth, clasp, labial or buccal flange to dentures. 1B (1) A reference to the sum specified for payment in the second entry of the third column (units of dental activity provided) of Table A is to the sum so specified for payment for an urgent course of treatment in directions given under section 109(4) of the 2006 Act. (2) For the period of 1 April 2026 to 23 June 2026, the calculation of units of dental activity in the second entry of the third column (units of dental activity provided) of Table A for an urgent course of treatment is not affected by an annual uprating of the contract value as determined by the Secretary of State applied retrospectively to that period. . (8) In Table A, in the second entry in the third column (units of dental activity provided), for “£75” substitute “the sum specified for payment”. (9) In Table B, in the first entry in the second column (units of dental activity provided), for “1.0” substitute “2.0”. (10) After Part 2 (units of orthodontic activity), insert— Part 3 COMPLEX CARE PATHWAYS Care to be provided under a complex care pathway 4 Where the contractor provides a complex care pathway in accordance with regulation 13B, the dental services that must be provided under each complex care pathway, and the duration of each complex care pathway, is specified in the appropriate row of Table C. Table C Care to be provided under each complex care pathway Type of complex care pathway | Duration of complex care pathway | Dental services that must be provided under complex care pathway Complex care pathway 1 | 6 months from date of initial examination and assessment | Oral health assessment including clinically appropriate radiographs Recording of diagnosis and depth of active carious lesions Identification and recording of modifiable risk factors Development of a treatment plan in line with findings from the oral health assessment, which must be shared with the patient Provision of clinically evidenced preventative advice and support for the duration of the complex care pathway Provision of clinically appropriate restorations of all relevant and a minimum of 5 teeth and, if required, endodontic therapy Re-evaluation of the patient prior to completion of the complex care pathway, to include recording how the modifiable risk factors identified have been addressed Assessment to determine the clinically appropriate interval for a risk-based recall after the dental services in (i) to (vii) are complete Complex care pathway 2 | 12 months from date of initial examination and assessment | Oral health assessment including clinically appropriate radiographs Recording of diagnosis and depth of active carious lesions Recording of the diagnosis statement for periodontitis Identification and recording of modifiable risk factors Development of a treatment plan in line with findings from the oral health assessment, which must be shared with the patient Provision of clinically evidenced preventative advice and support for the duration of the complex care pathway, to include recording how the modifiable risk factors identified have been addressed Provision of a minimum of 3 cycles of periodontal treatment to address periodontitis, in line with the patient’s treatment plan and clinically evidenced care Provision of clinically appropriate restorations of all relevant and a minimum of 5 teeth and, if required, endodontic therapy Assessment to determine the clinically appropriate interval for a risk-based recall after the dental services in (i) to (viii) are complete Complex care pathway 3 | 6 months from date of initial examination and assessment | Oral health assessment including clinically appropriate radiographs Recording of the diagnosis statement for periodontitis Identification and recording of modifiable risk factors Development of a treatment plan in line with findings from the oral health assessment, which must be shared with the patient Provision of clinically evidenced preventative advice and support for the duration of the complex care pathway, to include recording how the modifiable risk factors identified have been addressed Provision of minimum of 2 cycles of periodontal treatment to address periodontitis, in line with the patient’s treatment plan and clinically evidenced care Assessment to determine the clinically appropriate interval for a risk-based recall after the dental services in (i) to (vi) are complete Table D Units of dental activity provided under the contract in respect of completed complex care pathways Type of complex care pathway | Units of dental activity provided Complex care pathway 1 | the sum specified for payment for complex care pathway 1 divided by the monetary value of a unit of dental activity, rounded up to two decimal places Complex care pathway 2 | the sum specified for payment for complex care pathway 2 divided by the monetary value of a unit of dental activity, rounded up to two decimal places Complex care pathway 3 | the sum specified for payment for complex care pathway 3 divided by the monetary value of a unit of dental activity, rounded up to two decimal places 5 A reference to the sum specified for payment in Table D is to the sum so specified for the applicable complex care pathway in directions given under section 109(4) of the 2006 Act. .