Thirty-two Polish dentists are being recruited to work within the NHS in Scotland, according to the Scottish Health Executive. The first 12 dentists are due to arrive in Scotland by the end of January next year and will provide treatment for around 20,000 patients. Deputy Health Minister Lewis Macdonald also confirmed that several health boards were in discussion with an independent dental corporation to provide NHS dental treatment in areas where there are currently difficulties in accessing NHS services. Many patients were forced to re-register as private patients after their dental practices opted out of the health service.

The contract to bring all the dentists to Scotland was agreed in September 2005.

The first group of 12 dentists will be employed in the salaried service in Fife, Forth Valley and Argyll & Clyde while a further 20 Polish dentists are due to arrive in Scotland to take up posts next year.

The British Dental Association (BDA) claimed that the move would simply be a drop in the ocean and would not go far enough to address the problems facing NHS dentistry in Scotland. Dr Andrew Lamb, the BDA's Director for Scotland, said that a longer-term solution to the problems facing NHS dentistry in Scotland could only be achieved through constructive dialogue between the Scottish Executive health department and the BDA.