@Policy_Tom

Head of Policy and Research, @thebda

 My own views
Joined May 2022
  • Tweets719
  • Following345
  • Followers513
36Media
Tom King retweeted
BDA@TheBDAOct 13
A study aiming to understand the overall experiences of UK dental students has been published in the BDJ, investigating the changes in confidence and preparedness of UK dental graduates over time. Read the research: nature.com/articles/s41415-0…
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Tom King retweeted
BDA@TheBDASep 23
This is the maths sinking Health Service dentistry in Northern Ireland. This is the funding gap the @niexecutive have to fill. bda.org/news-and-opinion/new…
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Tom King retweeted
BDA@TheBDASep 1
🦷🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 CALLING ALL GDPs IN ENGLAND! Since 2017, 1 in 10 practices in England have left the NHS. Many more dentists are planning to follow them. Have the recent changes to the NHS contract made a big enough difference? We need your feedback👉 smartsurvey.co.uk/s/NHScontr…
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With new NHS England data on dentistry released today, Thea Stein shares our view on what it shows us about what we've been describing as a two-tier service. Read Thea's statement 👇 nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-it…

Access to NHS dental care remains poor despite boost in treatments delivered

Nuffield Trust Chief Executive, Thea Stein, responds to new annual statistics from NHS England on dental activity and the dental workforce.

nuffieldtrust.org.uk
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Tom King retweeted
BDA@TheBDAJul 24
Dentists: Campaigning for change doesn’t just happen; it's powered by members. Join us today. bda.org/become-a-bda-member/…
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Tom King retweeted
BDA@TheBDAJul 15
🥤Food labelling matters... And today the @CommonsHealth Committee has backed timid half measures, when decisive action is required. 🚥The ‘traffic light’ system works for industry precisely because it is both so familiar and so ineffective.
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Tom King retweeted
BDA@TheBDAJul 15
Replying to @TheBDA @CommonsHealth
🛑These bold warnings are resisted precisely because they deliver the goods. ↪️The objective here must be to change consumer behaviour. 🌎There are tried and tested models from abroad Government could sign up to, that really could turn the tide on tooth decay and obesity.
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Tom King retweeted
BDA@TheBDAJul 12
Tweaks at the margins have done little for a demoralised workforce or the millions we serve. Sign this call on our next PM: fix and fund NHS dentistry. you.38degrees.org.uk/petitio…

Fix and fund NHS Dentistry NOW!

Thirteen MILLION of us are still locked out of dental care. After two years of ministers promising to finally fix NHS dentistry, shocking new data just revealed that almost nothing has...

you.38degrees.org.uk
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Tom King retweeted
BDA@TheBDAJul 9
Latest figures show over 13 million people remain unable to secure care. Govt likes to claim the NHS is 'on the road to recovery'. But tweaks at the margins have barely scratched the surface in NHS dentistry. Sign our joint message to Andy Burnham.👇 you.38degrees.org.uk/petitio…
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Important message from BDA students and young dentists on the misguided plans to introduce a tie-in to the NHS for future graduates bda.org/news-and-opinion/blo…

How NHS tie-ins could backfire on dentistry in England

Jeremy Boyles, Chair of the Young Dentists Committee, and Nyah Patel, Chair of the BDSA on why tying future dental students to the NHS won't fix a broken system.

bda.org
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Tom King retweeted
BDA@TheBDAJul 3
Successive governments think that tying future dental students to the NHS will fix a broken system. It won’t. The latest on the reality here: bda.org/news-and-opinion/blo…
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Tom King retweeted
BDA@TheBDAJul 1
"Reforming the contract is the route to better treatment for my constituents", says @S_A_Russell MP "Please, can we start the consultation without delay?" 👏 With seismic change coming across government, reform of NHS dentistry must not be kicked back into the long grass. #PMQs
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Tom King retweeted
BDA@TheBDAJun 8
In April, a public consultation on fundamental reform of NHS dentistry was coming "this summer." In June, it's downgraded to "in due course." If NHS dentistry is going to survive we need urgency and ambition here.
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Tom King retweeted
BDA@TheBDAMay 19
GDPs: We’re listening. Tell us about your experiences in NHS dentistry - stress, morale, future plans. Check your inbox or junk folder for our survey email. Complete it for a chance to win a £100 gift card.
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Tom King retweeted
BDA@TheBDAMay 15
📉 Satisfaction with NHS dentistry is on the floor, but beneath the surface there’s a very different story… 📈 Satisfaction with dental care is sky high. 🦷 Patients agree, the problem isn’t their dentist: it’s NHS dentistry. bda.org/news-and-opinion/new…
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Proud to have joined colleagues in Westminster today. If you agree we need real change and proper funding please share 👇
BDA@TheBDAApr 1
Today we took a unhappy birthday message to Downing Street, co-signed by over 1,300 dentists and dental students. For 20 years failed contracts and savage cuts have pushed NHS dentistry to the brink. Tweaks won't cut it. We need real reform and fair funding.
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Tom King retweeted
BDA@TheBDAMar 3
Action was trailed to the press... But today's Spring Statement offered not a single a word on reform of Plan 2 loans, that have left a generation of our members drowning in debt. bda.org/news-and-opinion/new…
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Tom King retweeted
BDA@TheBDAFeb 27
A generation of dentists are now facing debts many will never repay. Read our open letter to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting on why we need urgent reform of Plan 2 loans. bda.org/news-and-opinion/new…
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Tom King retweeted
BDA@TheBDA16 Dec 2025
Years of austerity and failed contracts have seen shameful inequalities widen, warns @ShivPabary These latest tweaks are welcome. But we need fundamental reform to make NHS dentistry a place where young dentists would choose to build a career👉 bda.org/news-and-opinion/new…
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Tom King retweeted
BDA@TheBDA16 Dec 2025
BREAKING: The final shape of changes to the NHS contract for 2026.    Find out what it means for you and sign up for our coming webinar. 👇 bda.org/news-and-opinion/new…

England: Interim change may help but cannot be end of the road

We hope that interim changes to the discredited NHS dental contract will offer a boost for patients and practitioners but this is not the wholesale change required.

bda.org
Shiv Pabary MBE@ShivPabary16 Dec 2025
These are the biggest tweaks this failed contract has seen in its history. We hope changes can make things easier for practices & patients, but this cannot be the end of road. We need a response proportionate to the challenges we face to give NHS dentistry a sustainable future.
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