Are you a dental practice owner feeling the strain of your NHS contract and dreading 2026? This blog is for you, as we explore the journey of the dental profession and the vital step of NHS to private conversion.
At Patient Plan Direct, a leading dental plan provider, as we reflect on 2025, we’ve seen a surge in NHS conversion enquiries from clinicians who have reached breaking point with their NHS contracts. There has been a 175% rise in NHS-to-private enquiries compared with 2024. And 8 out of 10 of those conversations enquiries share a common issue – it’s no longer possible to maintain a sustainable mixed practice under the current UDA model.
The Past: Dentistry as an Honourable Profession Serving Local Communities
For many dentists, dentistry was never just a job – it was a calling. The desire to help people, to relieve pain, restore confidence and improve smiles, has always been at the heart of the profession.
The NHS dental contract offered a way to make that care accessible to everyone. For decades, it provided a stable framework for dentists to build rewarding careers while serving their local communities.
The Present: The Pressure Behind the Smiles and the UDA Model Crisis
Today, that same passion to care remains. But the reality of running an NHS dental practice has changed dramatically. Increasing patient demand, challenging contract targets, rising operational costs and recruitment challenges have left many practice owners struggling to stay afloat. Breaking even can feel like a victory, and for some, transitioning to private dentistry is now the only way to subsidise NHS work.
This imbalance has created an unsustainable situation for countless dental practice owners. Many are working long hours, facing mounting stress and watching their teams feel the strain too — all while trying to maintain the high standards of care their patients deserve.
The love for dentistry is still there, but the system is making it more challenging than ever to deliver it in a way that’s both financially and personally sustainable.
If you resonate with this and feel apprehensive about facing another year in the same situation, there is an alternative direction – a successful NHS to private dental conversion.
With Patient Plan Direct’s expert conversion team, we have the experience, knowledge, and proven methods to guide you through a successful NHS contract transition. This year, we achieved a record – our client at Goodwin Associates hit their membership target in just 12 days. She had a 3-month window to reach the number of patients needed to replace her NHS income. You can hear more about this here.
This success story of achieving the required target of plan patients in record time is becoming more common, as many patients now understand that NHS dentistry is unsustainable. And no matter how hard a clinician tries to make it work for the benefit of patients and the practice, when the system isn’t working, much of it is beyond their control.
Patients read negative stories in the press, online and on TV — about people taking dental matters into their own hands or being unable to find an NHS dentist locally — and they’re fully aware that NHS dentistry isn’t what it used to be. They have a greater understanding and sympathy for practice teams, recognising that they’re often working within a system widely considered to be broken.
To secure care with their most trusted clinician, many patients are choosing to join a membership plan, which is fast becoming the norm. At Patient Plan Direct, we can see across our client portfolio that dental plan uptake continues to rise significantly.
The Future: A Healthier Way Forward with Private Dental Membership Plans
As we approach 2026, we already have a growing list of NHS practices booking consultations with our plan specialists to discuss a potential conversion (or, at the very least, to grow a stronger private patient base), as the end of the latest UDA cycle comes into view.
For practices choosing to move from NHS to private, the goal is to create a model that allows both dentists and patients to thrive. With a cost-effective membership plan in place (alongside our strategies, guidance and training), practices can continue caring for patients who truly value their oral health while achieving a better work-life balance and a predictable monthly income stream.
Moving away from the NHS isn’t about “selling out”. It’s about moving with the times – protecting your team, safeguarding your dental business and ensuring that the care you provide remains accessible, personal and sustainable in the long term.
At Patient Plan Direct, we encourage practices across the UK who are looking to hand back their NHS contracts and secure their future to book in with us now. If you’re ready to explore what a successful NHS to private conversion could look like for you, contact our specialist conversion team, and let’s discuss how we can support you and your practice on your journey to a brighter, more balanced future in dentistry.