According to a new Healthcare Index, dentists' confidence in the future of the healthcare sector is very low. Dentists' outlook was, however, by far the most positive of the three primary healthcare providers researched by Lloyds TSB Commercial, with general practitioners (GPs) and pharmacists taking an even more negative outlook.

Based on a combined 'Confidence Index' drawn from a number of questions, where any figure greater than zero represents a positive outlook and figures below indicate a negative outlook, dentists registered minus 26 (the maximum values achievable are plus 100 and minus 100).

This compared to minus 61 for GPs and minus 50 for pharmacists, indicating that while dentists are uncertain about the proposed NHS reforms and how these will hit their profit margins, they are the most positive of the primary healthcare respondents overall.

Overall confidence in the future of the dentistry sector reflects concern around finances and growing competition; 85% of dentists are expecting further financial pressures over the next five years and 91% anticipate increased competition in the marketplace over the same period. Forty-three percent of dentists expect to see an increase in profits over the next 12 months, with 33% expecting profits to remain flat.

'Although dentists are more optimistic in the short term, take away the relative stability of a current NHS contract and they appear to share the same financial fears as GPs and pharmacists,' said Ian Crompton of Lloyds TSB Commercial.

www.lloydstsbbusiness.com/healthcare/pdf/Lloyds_TSB_Healthcare_Index.pdf