Lapsed registrations

The period at which a patient's registration with a dentist under NHS arrangements lapses, if the patient has not seen the dentist since registering or reregistering, is being extracted from 36 to 48 months for all  patients  registered with a dentist on 1 April 2009. This means that no patient registrations will lapse between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2010.

It is the intention that from 1 April 2010 the registration period of all patients registered with a dentist under a continuing care and capitation arrangement at that date will be made non-time limited. This would mean that from 1 April 2010 all existing patients and all new patients will be registered for life and registration arrangements will no longer lapse after a set period.

Dentists will continue to be entitled to de-register any patients that they no longer wish to treat under NHS arrangements.

Lapsed registrations January 2005 to June 2007 by age group & NHS board