Recession-Hit UK Suffers Shortage of Dentists, Waives Qualifying Exam For Foreign Dental Workers
- The United Kingdom is moving to waive qualifying examination for dentists in the country
- Reports say a shortage of dentists in the country has led to long queues outside new dental offices
- The dental union has criticised the government for putting laws in place prohibiting foreign dentists from practising in the country
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The UK government plans to allow foreign dentists to practice in the country without undergoing a qualification exam to address the shortage of dentists.
The proposed changes aim to expedite the process, which allows dentists to begin work in the country sooner.
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Why did the UK waive qualifying exams for dentists?
Dentists from non-European countries must pass an overseas exam to work in the UK.
The General Dental Council would be empowered to provisionally register dentists based on its assessment of their qualifications, ensuring patient safety and care quality are upheld. In contrast, dentists on the provisional register would need supervision.
Most NHS dental practices cannot accommodate new patients, significantly increasing emergency room visits for dental issues, especially among children with tooth problems.
Also, the shortage of NHS dentists has led to long queues in new dental practices in Bristol, the first city to accept new patients in over six months, according to a report.
Police intervene as dental crisis hits UK
The situation worsened, so police had to intervene as the practice struggled to take in the overwhelming demand, resulting in many patients being disappointed.
According to reports, the dental union criticised the government for addressing the shortage without tackling the real issues deterring dentists from NHS work.
Health Minister Dame Andrea Leadsom said the shortage of NHS dentists has led to long queues outside new dental practices in Bristol, the first to accept new patients in six months.
Nigerian dentists to practice without exams
Dentists who obtain qualifications outside the European Economic Area, such as Nigeria, must undergo an exam administered by Britain's dental regulatory body, the GDC.
The development is with the exemption of dentists holding qualifications from 14 specific universities in Australia, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and New Zealand, who are exempt from the examination requirements if they graduate before 2021.
Health authorities have characterised the entrance exams as red tape, attributing them to delays in dentists' registration practices and subsequent commencement of patient treatments.
UK moves to take 600,000 students yearly from Nigeria
Legit.ng reported that the United Kingdom has concluded plans to increase the number of international students coming to study in their schools to 600,000 annually by 2030, focusing on Nigeria, India, and Vietnam.
A report by Hazel Shearing of the BBC said that the government has a target of 600,000 international students yearly in the UK by 2030.
He stated that the government has specifically targeted students from such countries as Nigeria, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia.
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Source: Legit.ng
