Dentists' body runs up £2m debt

The BDA says members' services will not be affected

The British Dental Association is in financial crisis after running more than £2m into the red.

The organisation, which represents 20,000 dentists in the UK, has drawn up emergency plans to cut costs.

It will lose 31 of its 120 staff and all non-essential meetings have been cancelled. Jeff Glasgow, its finance director has resigned.

"This has been a difficult time," said Dr John Renshaw, chair of its executive board.

Financial difficulties

The BDA has an annual budget of £8m. The first sign of problems appeared last May when it reached its overdraft limit. It had overspent by £760,000.

A subsequent review of its accounts suggested it was on course to lose a further £1.5m by September.

We now have a robust recovery plan in place Dr John Renshaw, British Dental Association

Officials believe the cost-cutting plan now being implemented will bring the association's finances into the black by October.

They have refused to say how it ran into financial difficulties in the first place.

"In May the BDA identified a financial overspend and took immediate action, introducing measures which will return the association to surplus from October," said Dr Renshaw.

"We now have a robust recovery plan in place and our priority remains providing excellent services to our members."

The bulk of the savings is expected to come from the job losses. Officials hope there will be no compulsory redundancies.

They have stressed that services to members will not be affected.

The crisis comes at a bad time for the BDA. Dentistry is facing a major shake-up with the government planning to spend millions of extra pounds in a bid to improve NHS dental services.

Ministers have pledged to recruit an extra 1,000 NHS dentists by October 2005.

They have also promised to introduce a new contract for dentists, which will be less bureaucratic and complex.