Recruitment and Retention Allowance

What is Recruitment and Retention Allowance?

This allowance was introduced as an incentive to attract new dentists to the NHS for the first time and encourage dentists to return to the NHS after a 5 year break. This was to address the difficulty patients had in accessing a NHS dentist.

Changes to the Recruitment and Retention Allowance

Since the allowance was introduced there have been improvements in access to general dental services in many parts of the country, but not in all NHS Board areas.

From 16 May 2011, the criteria for receiving this allowance has changed:

• It is now restricted to certain NHS Board areas;

• The fee has increased in newly defined designated areas.

The new area definitions are as follows:

*Non-designated area = Kilwinning (within Ayrshire and Arran NHS Board), Hawick and Berwickshire (within Borders NHS Board), Newton Stewart, Annan and the surrounding area of Annandale and Eskdale (within Dumfries and Galloway NHS Board).

**Designated area = Grampian, Highland, Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles NHS Boards.

The Recruitment and Retention Allowance is no longer available in all other NHS Board areas or part areas.

How do I claim for Recruitment and Retention Allowance?

There are two types of Recruitment and Retention Allowance, each with different qualifying criteria.  You can only be eligible for 1 type:

1) If you are having your name included on sub part A of the dental list for the first time, following completion of training, you can request the GP219 claim form from your local NHS Board.

For full details on the qualifying criteria, see below:

Form	Paid	Payment Duration	Maximum payment
GP219	Annually	Not applicable	£15,000.00 over 2 years (non-designated area*) or £25,000.00 over 2 years (designated area**)
1) Name included in sub part A of the dental list for the first time, within 3 months of completing training; 2) provide at least 4 sessions of General Dental Service (GDS) each week for 3 years after first payment; 3) NHS earnings for 3 years after first payment must be at least 80%; 4) must remain on a dental list for 3 years after first payment; 5) provide the full range of GDS for 3 years after first payment; and 6) claim must be made within 2 months of name being included in dental list.

2) If you are having your name included on sub part A of the Dental list for the first time, or after a break of at least 5 years, you can request the GP227 claim form from your local NHS Board.

For full details on the qualifying criteria, see below:

	Paid	Payment Duration	Maximum payment
GP227	Annually	Not applicable	£5,000.00 over 2 years (non-designated area*) or £10,000.00 over 2 years (designated area**)
1) Name included in sub part A of the dental list for the first time, or being included in a list having not been on such a list for 5 years; 2) provide at least 4 sessions of General Dental Services (GDS) each week for 3 years after first payment; 3) NHS earnings for the 3 years after first payment must be at least 80%; 4) provide the full range of GDS for 3 years after first payment; 5) must remain on a dental list for 3 years after first payment; and 6) claim must be made within 2 months of name being included or re-included in dental list.