Sir, my thanks to John Mew for providing 'a bit of historical background' (Credit due; BDJ 2009; 206: 189) and for reminding me of the meeting 'in Tunbridge Wells in late 1972' which I can recall attending, only a few years after I had started in general dental practice. I can remember that, as John says in his letter, there was not a lot of enthusiasm for the scheme amongst those present but not surprisingly – after some 36 years – I didn't recall the comment which I apparently made at the time. I can only assume that my comment 'you are just changing one authority for another' was because the fee levels were to be set by the scheme and not individually by each dentist. I have long held the view that private fees should be a matter for agreement between dentist and patient, without the involvement of a third party.

I don't now recall the views of the Branch Council Chairman and Executive Committee when the matter was later referred to them.

I was most interested to be reminded of this early proposed private dental scheme; it would seem that in 1972 it was perhaps 'ahead of its time', given the apparently less than enthusiastic response of the dentists and their general satisfaction with the NHS at that time.