Request

‘I have been referred to the NHS BSA by Cheshire and Merseyside ICB for more information on the contribution of dental therapists to the performance of Units of Dental Activity (UDAs) for general dental contracts operated by dental practices within their management area.

Please could you inform me under the FOI act for general dental contracts performed within the Cheshire and Merseyside ICB, the following information for the financial years 2023/24 and 2024/25 and for the 5 months 2025/26 April to August:

1. The total number of dental therapists using their PID numbers (Personal Identifier Number) in each of the above years for all contracts

2. The total number of UDAs performed exclusively performed by a dental therapist using their PID numbers and what percentage of the total number of UDAs performed by all dental contracts does the activity performed by the Therapist represent?

3. The total number of UDAs performed by a Dental Therapist using their PID number where a therapist had performed part of the treatment and is listed as one of the performers in that Course of Treatment?’

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 1 September 2025.

On 8 September 2025 you clarified your request with the following:

‘For part 1, do you require just the total number of dental care professionals with a registration number by year? YES – EACH CLINICIAN IE. DENTIST OR DENTAL THERAPIST IS ISSUED WITH A PIN NUMBER IN THE CASE OF A DENTIST BUT A PID – PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER FOR A DENTAL THERAPIST – THEY ARE THEN ABLE TO CLAIM A UDA USING THEIR PIN/PID NUMBER. IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO KNOW THE NUMBER OF CLINICIANS OF BOTH TYPES ABLE TO CLAIM NHS UDA IN EACH BY CLINICIAN TYPE I.E. DENTIST OR THERAPIST.

For parts 2 and 3, do you require the totals for all of Cheshire & Merseyside ICB, or each actual contract by year? IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO HAVE THIS NUMBER BY CONTRACT FOR EACH YEAR. IF THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE THEN BY TOTALS.’

Response

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested and a copy of the information and notes explaining it is attached and below.

This report contains the details from General FP17s processed in Cheshire & Merseyside ICB Contracts for Reporting Years 2023/2024, 2024/2025 & 2025/2026 (202504-202508). Contracts paid by NHSBSA. Excludes Foundation Dentists. The information within the report includes the data items and descriptions listed below

Reporting Year: The financial year which the activity relate to. Year-end methodology will include all activity data (including amendments) collected from FP17s scheduled in any of the fifteen schedule months from April to June, where the date of completion is on or between 1 April and 31 March of the year. For example 2019-20 will include all activity data (including amendments) collected from FP17s scheduled in any of the fifteen schedule months from April 2019 to June 2020, where the date of completion is on or between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020. Where FP17s do not have a date of completion, e.g. where the patient has failed to return to complete the treatment, the date of acceptance is used.

Contract Number: This is a unique 10 character number which identifies a contract.

Commissioner Code: This is the 3 character code associated with the Commissioning Organisation. This a generic term used to denote health bodies, either Area Teams in England or Health Boards in Wales. Also known as Primary Care Organisations (PCOs)

Commissioner Name: This is the name associated with the Commissioning Organisation. This is a generic term used to denote health bodies, either Area Teams in England or Health Boards in Wales. Also known as Primary Care Organisations (PCOs))

Provider Name: The name of the provider

Performer Number: The performer's personal number.

Contract Type: Either GDS – General Dental Services, PDS – Personal Dental Services or PDS Plus – Personal Dental Services Plus

UDA Delivered: The units of dental activity scheduled for the time period selected relating to the financial year, where they were carried out by any performer.

DCP Registration Number: This is the Registration Number of the DCP.

DCP Description: This is defined based on the job description - In this case Therapist. Performed with Direct Treatment by a DCP.

DCP Therapist Assist UDA Delivered: This is a count of the number of UDAs scheduled performed with the assistance of a DCP.

DCP Therapist Direct Treatment UDAs: This is a count of the number of UDAs scheduled performed with Direct Treatment by a DCP.

Number of DCP Therapists: This is a count of the number of DCP Therapists using their Registration Number.

Number of Performers: This is a count of the number of Performers using their Performer number.

Note: The direct treatment claims would have started to come in from 1 April 2024 – DCPs were created with personal IDs from late February with the intention of adding them to contracts with 1 April 2024 start date.

Data Queries

Please contact foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the above reference if you have any specific questions regarding this response; or, if you feel you may be misunderstanding or misinterpreting the information; or, if you plan on publishing the data.

Reusing the data and copyright

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “Dental Services, NHSBSA Copyright 2025” Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence.

Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information.