• Dentists left in the dark as government fails to assess impact of NICs hikes
• Thames Water: we need to see an outright ban on exec bonuses whilst sewage scandal drags on
• Cole-Hamilton attacks national insurance impact on GPs and care providers

Dentists left in the dark as government fails to assess impact of NICs hikes

The Liberal Democrats have revealed that the government made no assessment of its recent tax hike on NHS dentists.

Responding to a parliamentary question from the Liberal Democrats, Labour government minister Stephen Kinnock responded that “no assessments have been made yet on the potential impact of an increase in employers’ National Insurance Contributions on dental practices’ finances.”

The government announced at the budget that it would increase employers’ National Insurance Contributions (NICs) next year but has faced a backlash from health and care providers who will receive no extra support.

Whilst the government has confirmed that NHS hospitals and secondary care will be exempt, GPs, pharmacies, hospices and NHS dentists will not. This is putting financial pressure on these vital services and could force them to cut appointments and staff numbers.

The British Dental Association has slammed the move and the government’s failure to carry out an impact assessment, commenting that “it’s utterly reckless to heap new costs on struggling practices without even considering the impact.” NHS dentists across the country are warning that they will have to cut services for patients or even reduce staff numbers.

One practice in Tyneside has said that “it’s another nail in the coffin of NHS Dentistry.” Another practice warned “the recent changes to Employers NI and raising of the living wage will lead to bankruptcy and breakdowns.”

The Liberal Democrats are calling for the government to exempt NHS dentists and those providing vital health and care services, including GP surgeries, social care providers, hospices, charitable providers of health and care, and pharmacies, from this tax rise.

Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson, Helen Morgan MP said:

The government has pulled the rug out from under crucial public health services without thinking twice.

It’s shocking that this careless decision has been taken with no regard to the impact it would have on NHS dentists. Many will have no choice but to cut services and staff numbers.

NHS dentists and other health and care providers must be exempted from the Chancellor’s tax increase. Without reversing the hike, the government’s plan to rescue our health service is a plan in name only.

Chair of the British Dental Association, Eddie Crouch said:

When millions can’t access NHS dentistry it’s utterly reckless to heap new costs on struggling practices without even considering the impact.

The Treasury failed to grasp that primary care is delivered by thousands of small businesses. Each requires immediate answers on how they’re expected to balance their books.

Thames Water: we need to see an outright ban on exec bonuses whilst sewage scandal drags on

Responding to reporting that the regulator Ofwat is expected to say on Thursday a £195,000 bonus awarded to the boss of Thames Water should not be paid for by customers, Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

The fact that Thames Water is paying out any bonuses in the first place is an utter disgrace.

It is a welcome shock that Ofwat is actually acting to protect bill paying customers for once after proving completely toothless in cracking down on these polluting firms for years.

Even when the regulator does act against this broken industry it does so in the meekest possible terms. A Chief Exec receiving hundreds of thousands of pounds in bonuses whilst the firm they run is on the brink of collapse is beggars belief.

We need to see an outright ban on water company bosses bonuses whilst this scandal drags on and Ofwat replaced by a new regulator with real teeth to crack down on this industry once and for all.

Cole-Hamilton attacks national insurance impact on GPs and care providers

Speaking in this afternoon’s debate on the impact of National Insurance increases on public services, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

The Chancellor’s decision to increase employers’ National Insurance contributions, without ensuring that GPs and care providers are compensated, is a huge mistake that risks stretching primary and social care to breaking point.

Even before these tax rises, GPs in my constituency have told me time and again just how up against it they are, and patients feel it too. Not long ago you used to be able to call up your GP and secure an appointment within the next few days. Nowadays people are often having to ring again and again, only to wait weeks to be seen.

These extra National Insurance contributions mean many GP practices will be unable to follow through with recruitment plans that would have helped ease the pressure and deliver a better service for patients.

GPs are being punished by a flaw at the heart of the rules here. They are being treated as private contractors, but because their work is entirely in the public sector, they are not entitled to employment allowance which would have reduced their National Insurance liability by up to £5,000 per year.

The Institute of General Practice Management has estimated that the rise will mean the average GP surgery’s tax bill will go up by around £20,000 a year; that’s equivalent to hundreds of appointments.

And it’s not just GPs that are stuck between a rock and a hard place here. Other care providers will be forced to make cutbacks too. Look at the challenge for pharmacies and hospices.

Many dental practices are struggling and might be forced to reduce their already limited NHS provision as a result; that would have serious consequences for the already sparce patient access. Just today my party uncovered that the UK Government made no assessment of its tax hike on NHS dentists before making the change. The British Dental Association say that’s “reckless”.

We know that Scotland’s social care sector is in crisis. It too will be hit hard by this hike. Already, thousands of people are left languishing in hospitals, sometimes for months, because of the lack of care home places and care packages in the community. Not only is this unbearable for patients, but it causes delays right across the health service.

None of this has been helped by the SNPs decision to plough their time and money into the ill-fated, so-called National Care Service which no one wants – and which the Scottish Government should scrap immediately.

The last thing the sector needs is for the UK Government to heap on more financial pressure through staff costs. So Labour need to rethink this because its giving with one hand to the NHS but taking away with the other. If they won’t cancel their counterproductive jobs tax, then exempt GPs and care providers, so as not to make the health and care crisis worse.

Local authorities are concerned too – their budgets are hugely stretched, and they’re now worried they could be on the line for further millions. Representatives of Scotland’s voluntary sector are warning this measure could cost them upwards of £75 million per year. We’re talking about social care, youth work, small charities.

The government should raise the money we need by reversing Conservative tax cuts for the big banks or asking the social media giants to pay their fair share.

Liberal Democrats will always speak up on behalf of those who provide healthcare and look after our loved ones. And we will provide the much needed, grown-up opposition this country deserves.