National Health Service (General Dental Services) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025: equality impact assessment

Executive summary

The overall purpose of these policy proposals is to improve access to NHS dental services for patients. The SSI will amend the 2010 regulations in relation to two distinct aspects to make changes to:

• one of the bases on which prior approval of dental treatment is required; and
• the requirements around mandatory training for dentists who wish to provide NHS dental services in Scotland.

Data was gathered on the oral health of people with protected characteristics to determine if these changes would have an impact on their ability to access NHS dental services. We have concluded that there will be no negative impact on people with protected characteristics and that some people with certain protected characteristics may see more benefit from the changes to prior approval in terms of improving treatment times than the general population.