The National Health Service (General Dental Services Contracts and Patient Charges) (Wales) Regulations 2026

Title	Charge	Description
Urgent Access Appointments
Urgent Care Package	£37.50	Urgent appointments should include an oral health assessment (including soft tissue) and onward referral where appropriate. Should provide relief from pain and/or prevent significant deterioration, with onward referral if required. Should normally provide a long-term solution. Where appropriate, with patient’s consent, should consist of permanent definitive treatment, including restorations.
New Patient Assessments
New Patient Assessment	£27.21	Includes global health and clinical assessment (including soft tissue) and intraoral radiography. Prevention includes diet advice and Oral Hygiene instruction (based on clinical exam), risk factor management including smoking/alcohol/sugar reduction advice, topical fluoride application, high concentration fluoride toothpaste prescription and fissure sealants (for enamel caries) as appropriate.
Care Packages
Simple Restorative Care Package	£36.03	Includes fillings, temporary crowns, Hall crowns and extractions up to a combined total of 4 teeth.
Extensive Restorative Care Package	£68.75	As per simple restorative care package for 5 to 8 teeth. Composite material for anterior teeth (canine to canine). Posterior teeth to use clinically appropriate materials, which includes both amalgam and amalgam alternatives.
Periodontal Care Package	£48.53	Entry assessed on engagement from assessment, but patient must achieve minimum of 30% plaque score by 3rd OHE visit. Includes plaque score and tailored OHI, 6ppc, professional mechanical plaque removal and Pocket debridement. Contract holders expected to follow guidance such as the Society of British Periodontology guidance on managing patients with periodontal disease.
Denture Care Package	£86.40	Excludes laboratory charges (paid directly by the patient, unless exempt from NHS charges). Includes upper and lower dentures, including Cobalt Chrome dentures if clinically indicated.
Stabilisation Care Package	£75.00	For patients who present with 7+ carious teeth, where at least two of the teeth have caries extending to close proximity or into the pulp and the patient is keen to engage. Includes extractions, DBOH prevention, Glass Ionomer intermediate restorations, pulp extirpation, removal of plaque retentive factors.
Anterior Root Canal Package	£91.18	For up to two teeth 1-3, includes any permanent restorations.
Posterior Root Canal Package	£182.72	Posterior and pre-molar root canal package, for up to two teeth. Includes Second molars if the tooth is strategically necessary to maintain dentition (e.g. patients who have a lack of posterior support, a medical reason to retain etc.). Includes any cuspal coverage needed, excluding laboratory charge (paid by patients, unless exempt from NHS charges).
Crown Bridge, Inlay, Onlay and Veneer Care Package	£140.44	Excludes temporary restorations. Up to a three unit bridge or up to two crowns or where a crown and bridge are both provided a single cantilever bridge and single crown would be provided under a single care package. Includes study models, posts and cores etc. Excludes laboratory charges.
Miscellaneous Care Package	£25.00	For treatment and interventions for patients that fall outside a current care package or outside the guarantee period. Includes: denture repair/addition/reline, denture ease, study models, bite raising appliance, biopsy, repair/recement of a crown, bridge or veneer, removal of sutures, pericoronitis, ANUG, orthodontic urgent issues, arrest of haemorrhage (for extractions carried outside of a care package), dry socket (for extractions carried outside of a care package). Excludes any laboratory charge.
Prevention
Recall	£25.00 per visit	Patients having a recall examination are to be put on a recall package aligned to NICE guidance. Requirement to declare on the FP17 which recall interval the patient is currently on. A robust clinical monitoring process must take place to confirm that the patient is on the appropriate risk assessed recall package.

Referral

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• (1) Only one charge for the course of treatment or urgent course of treatment under paragraph 1 may be made and recovered from the patient where the patient has started a course of treatment under a care package or an urgent course of treatment with one contractor but is referred to—

• (a) an alternative contractor for part of the course of treatment under the care package or urgent course of treatment, or

• (b) a hospital or other service provider under Part 1 of the 2006 Act for the supply of a dental appliance as part of the course of treatment.

• (2) The charge where paragraph (1) applies may only be made and recovered by the original contractor.

Making and recovery of charges

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• (1) Where a charge may be made and recovered under this Schedule the contractor, upon arranging a course of treatment, must—

• (a) inform the patient that they are required to pay a charge,

• (b) inform the patient which of the charges set out in the table in paragraph 4 applies at that stage and provide an estimate of the total charge, and

• (c) inform the patient that the charge is capped in accordance with paragraph 1(2) of this Schedule and inform them of the level of the capped charge

• (2) On the completion of the appointment or course of treatment, as the case may be, a contractor may make and recover from the patient (unless it has already been paid) the appropriate charge.

• (3) Upon receiving payment of a charge payable under this Schedule the contractor must provide a receipt on—

• (a) a paper form provided for that purpose by the relevant Local Health Board, or

• (b) an electronic form which identifies the person who provided the service, the name of the contractor, the services provided, and the amount of the charge paid and the date on which it is paid.

Repayment of charges

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• (1) This paragraph applies to any person who—

• (a) pays any charge under paragraph 1, and

• (b) would, but for a failure to comply with paragraph 2(2) or 3(2), have been exempt from the charge under paragraph 1.

• (2) Subject to paragraph (3) any person to whom this paragraph applies is entitled to have such a charge repaid.

• (3) It is a condition of the entitlement to a repayment under this regulation that the person makes a claim to the Local Health Board for the repayment—

• (a) within—

• (i) 3 months after payment of the charge, or

• (ii) any period that the Welsh Ministers deem it appropriate in all the circumstances to allow, and

• (b) in a way prescribed by the Welsh Ministers for that purpose, and

• (c) supported by any evidence which was not previously provided.

• (4) Subject to paragraph (5), where the person is unable for the time being to act, another person may make a claim on that person’s behalf.

• (5) The Local Health Board must forward the claim within 14 clear days to the Welsh Minsters, who may refuse to accept a claim made by one person on behalf of another where they are of the opinion that—

• (a) the person on whose behalf the claim is made is able to act, or

• (b) the person making the claim is not a suitable person to act on behalf of that other person.

• (6) If upon considering a claim under sub-paragraph (3) the Welsh Ministers are satisfied that the person is entitled to repayment under this paragraph the Welsh Ministers must provide that a repayment is made to that person in such a way as appears to be appropriate in the circumstances.

Accounting for charges in relation to payments

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Where a contractor has provided dental services for which a charge is payable under this Schedule the payment which would otherwise be payable by the Local Health Board to that contractor must be reduced by the amount of that charge, irrespective of whether or not that charge has been recovered by the contractor.

Central collection and electronic processes

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• (1) Where the Welsh Ministers give directions under section 60 of the 2006 Act requiring central collection of charges the Local Health Board must ensure the contract requires charges to be collected in accordance with those directions.

• (2) The Welsh Ministers may specify requirements for—

• (a) electronic submission of charge and exemption information to Local Health Boards;

• (b) electronic acknowledgment of liability by patients;

• (c) electronic issue of receipts.

• (3) Where electronic processes are specified under paragraph (2), they must satisfy any corresponding requirement in these Regulations for written processes or documentation.

• (4) Directions and specifications under this paragraph are terms of the contract.

Schedule 6 — AMENDMENTS

The National Health Service (Dental Charges) (Wales) Regulations 2006

1

• (1) The 2006 (Charges) Regulations, are amended as follows.

• (2) In regulation 2 (interpretation), in the definition of “relevant primary dental services”, after the word “contract” insert “(except a contract under the National Health Service (General Dental Services Contracts and Patient Charges) (Wales) Regulations 2026)”.

• (3) In regulation 3(2)(e)(ii) (charges for the provision of dental services) omit “or”.

• (4) In regulation 3(2)(f), for “supplied.” substitute “supplied, or”.

• (5) In regulation 3(2) after sub-paragraph (f) insert—

(g) the provision of dental services under a general dental services contract under the National Health Service (General Dental Services Contracts and Patient Charges) (Wales) Regulations 2026.

The National Health Service (Personal Dental Services Agreements) (Wales) 2006

2

• (1) The 2006 (PDS) Regulations are amended as follows.

• (2) In regulation 2 (interpretation)—

• (a) in the appropriate places insert—

• “the 2006 Act” means the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006³⁹;

• “the 2026 GDS Contracts and Patient Charges Regulations” means the National Health Service (General Dental Services Contracts and Patient Charges) (Wales) Regulations 2026;

• “the 2026 Regulations” means the National Health Service (Performers Lists) (Wales) Regulations 2026;

• “care package” means a defined bundle of the dental services set out in Part 1 of Schedule 2 which are provided to a patient as a course of treatment based on assessed clinical need and risk;

• “new patient assessment” means an assessment carried out in accordance with paragraph 10 of part 2 of Schedule 1 of the 2026 GDS Contracts and Patient Charges Regulations;

• “urgent care” means treatment to provide relief from pain and/or to prevent significant deterioration of a particular dental problem, with the aim to provide, where possible, a long-term solution.

• (b) in the definition of “advanced mandatory services” for “GDS Contracts Regulations” substitute “2026 GDS Contracts and Charges Regulations”,

• (c) in the definition of “agreement”, after “Act” insert “or section 64 of the 2006 Act;”,

• (d) in the definition of “course of treatment” after the word “patient” in the second place in which it appears insert “as part of a care package or otherwise”,

• (e) in the definition of “mandatory services” for “GDS Contracts Regulations” substitute “2026 GDS Contracts and Charges Regulations”,

• (f) in the definition of “NHS Charge” after “NHS Charges Regulations” insert “or the 2026 GDS Contracts and Patient Charges Regulations”,

• (g) in the definition of “primary care list”, at the end of sub-paragraph (f) omit “or”

• (h) at the end of sub-paragraph (g) insert “or”, and

• (i) after sub-paragraph (g) insert—

(h) a list made and kept pursuant to the National Health Service (Performers Lists) (Wales) Regulations 2026;

• (3) In regulation 4(3)(c)(ii), after “of the Act” insert “or within the meaning of regulation 16(3) of the 2026 Regulations”.

• (4) For regulation 13, including the heading, substitute—

(13) (1) Where an agreement includes the provision of mandatory or advanced mandatory services, the agreement must specify the number of appointments or care packages, as the case may be, to be provided by the contractor— (a) where the agreement begins on 1 April, in each financial year or, by virtue of the duration of the agreement, part financial year; or (b) where the agreement begins on a date other than 1 April, in the remainder of the financial year in which the agreement begins, and in each financial year thereafter. (2) An agreement must contain terms which have the effect that payment for provision of mandatory or advanced mandatory services must be in accordance with any directions issued by the Welsh Ministers under section 66(4) of the 2006 Act (Regulations about section 64 arrangements) and Part 1 of Schedule 2.

• (5) In regulation 15—

• (a) in the heading for “units of dental activity” substitute “mandatory or advanced mandatory services,”,

• (b) in sub-paragraph (2)(a) for “units of dental activity” substitute “appointments or care packages, as the case may be”,

• (c) in sub-paragraph (2)(b)(i) for “units of dental activity” substitute “appointments or care packages, as the case may be”, and

• (d) in sub-paragraph (2)(b)(ii) for “units” substitute “appointments, care packages or units”.

• (6) In regulation 17—

• (a) in sub-paragraph (1)(a) for “the Assembly under section 28E(3A) of the Act (personal medical or dental services: regulations)” substitute “the Welsh Ministers under section 66(4) of the 2006 Act (regulations about section 64 arrangements)”,

• (b) in sub-paragraph (1)(b) for “the Assembly under section 16BB(4) (Local Health Board’s functions)²or 28E(3A) of the Act” substitute “the Welsh Ministers under section 12 (functions of Local Health Boards) or 66(4) of the 2006 Act”,

• (c) in sub-paragraph (2)(c) for “the Assembly under section 28E(3A).” substitute “the Welsh Ministers under section 66(4) of the 2006 Act”, and

• (d) in sub-paragraph (3) for “16BB(4) or 28E(3A) of the Act” substitute “12 or 66(4) of the 2006 Act”.

• (7) In regulation 18—

• (a) in sub-paragraph (2)(a) after “NHS Charges Regulations” insert “or the 2026 GDS Contracts and Patient Charges Regulations”,

• (b) in sub-paragraph (3)(a) after “NHS Charges Regulations” insert “or the 2026 GDS Contracts and Patient Charges Regulations”, and

• (c) in sub-paragraph (3)(b) after “NHS Charges Regulations” insert “or the 2026 GDS Contracts and Patient Charges Regulations”.

• (8) In regulation 21—

• (a) in sub-paragraph (2)(c) for “section 28M of the Act (persons eligible to enter into GDS contracts)¹ and regulations 4 and 5 (where applicable) of the GDS Contracts Regulations” substitute “section 59 of the 2006 Act (Persons eligible to enter into GDS contracts) and regulations 4 and 5 (where applicable) of the 2026 GDS Contracts and Patient Charges Regulations”,

• (b) in sub-paragraph (5) for “section 28M of the Act and regulations 4 and 5 (where applicable) of the GDS Contracts Regulations” substitute “section 59 of the 2006 Act and regulations 4 and 5 (where applicable) of the 2026 GDS Contracts and Patient Charges Regulations”,

• (c) in sub-paragraph (6) for “the Act and the GDS Contracts Regulations” substitute “the 2006 Act and the 2026 GDS Contracts and Patient Charges Regulations”,

• (d) in sub-paragraph (6)(b) after “same” insert “mandatory”,

• (e) in sub-paragraph (6)(c) omit “or orthodontic courses of treatment”,

• (f) in sub-paragraph (6)(c)(ii) omit “or orthodontic courses of treatment”,

• (g) in sub-paragraph (6)(d)(i)—

• (i) for “units of dental activity or units of orthodontic activity” substitute “appointments or care packages”, and

• (ii) omit “or 14”,

• (h) omit sub-paragraph (6)(e),

• (i) in sub-paragraph (6)(f) omit “or orthodontic course of treatment” in both places it appears,

• (j) in sub-paragraph (6)(g) for “GDS Contracts Regulations” substitute “2026 GDS Contracts and Charges Regulations”,

• (k) in sub-paragraph (8) for “section 28M of the Act or regulation 4 of the GDS Contracts Regulations” substitute “section 59 of the 2006 Act or regulation 4 of the 2026 GDS Contracts and Patient Charges Regulations”,

• (l) in sub-paragraph (9) for “Assembly in accordance with regulation 8(3) and (4) of the GDS Contracts Regulations (pre-contract disputes).” substitute “Welsh Ministers in accordance with regulation 8(3) and (4) of the 2026 GDS Contracts and Patient Charges Regulations (pre-contract disputes).”, and

• (m) in sub-paragraph (10) for “Assembly” substitute “Welsh Ministers”.

• (9) Schedule 2 is amended as follows—

• (a) in the heading for “UNITS OF DENTAL ACTIVITY” substitute “MANDATORY SERVICES, ADVANCED MANDATORY SERVICES”,

• (b) for the whole of Part 1 substitute—

Where the contractor provides mandatory services or advanced mandatory services as part of the agreement, the appointment or care package must be of a type listed in and in accordance with the relevant description set out in Table A below—

Title	Description
Urgent Access Appointments
Urgent Care Package	Urgent appointments should include an oral health assessment (including soft tissue) and onward referral where appropriate. Should provide relief from pain and/or prevent significant deterioration, with onward referral if required. Should normally provide a long-term solution. Where appropriate, with patient’s consent, should consist of permanent definitive treatment, including restorations
New Patient Assessments
New Patient Assessment	Includes global health and clinical assessment (including soft tissue) and intraoral radiography. Prevention includes diet advice and oral hygiene instruction (based on clinical exam), risk factor management including smoking/alcohol/sugar reduction advice, topical fluoride application, high concentration fluoride toothpaste prescription and fissure sealants (for enamel caries) as appropriate
Care Packages
Simple Restorative Care Package	Includes fillings, temporary crowns, Hall crowns and extractions up to a total of 4 teeth
Extensive Restorative Package	As per simple restorative package for 5 to 8 teeth. Composite material for anterior teeth (canine to canine). Posterior teeth to use clinically appropriate materials, which includes both amalgam and amalgam alternatives
Periodontal Care Package	Entry assessed on engagement from assessment, but patient must achieve minimum of 30% plaque score by 3rd OHE visit. Includes plaque score and tailored OHI, 6ppc, professional mechanical plaque removal and pocket debridement. Contract holders expected to follow guidance such as the Society of British Periodontology guidance on managing patients with periodontal disease
Denture Care Package	Excludes laboratory fees (paid directly by the patient, unless exempt from NHS charges). Includes upper and lower dentures, including cobalt chrome dentures if clinically indicated
Stabilisation Care Package	For patients who present with 7+ carious teeth, where at least two of the teeth have caries extending to close proximity or into the pulp and the patient is keen to engage. Includes extractions, DBOH prevention, glass ionomer intermediate restorations, pulp extirpation, removal of plaque retentive factors
Anterior Root Canal Package	For up to two teeth 1-3, includes any permanent restorations
Posterior Root Canal Package	Posterior and pre-molar root canal package, for up to two teeth. Includes second molars if the tooth is strategically necessary to maintain dentition (e.g. patients who have a lack of posterior support, a medical reason to retain etc.). Includes any cuspal coverage needed, excluding laboratory fee (paid by patients, unless exempt from NHS charges)
Crown Bridge, Inlay, Onlay and Veneer Care Package	Excludes temporary restorations. Up to a three unit bridge or up to two crowns or where a crown and bridge are both provided a single cantilever bridge and single crown would be provided under a single care package. Includes study models, posts and cores etc. Excludes laboratory charges.
Miscellaneous Care Package	For treatment and interventions for patients that fall outside a current care package or outside the guarantee period. Includes: denture repair/addition/reline, denture ease, study models, bite raising appliance, biopsy, repair/recement of a crown, bridge or veneer, removal of sutures, pericoronitis, ANUG, orthodontic urgent issues, arrest of haemorrhage (for extractions carried outside of a care package), dry socket (for extractions carried outside of a care package). Excludes any laboratory charge
Prevention
Recall	Patients having a recall examination must be put on a recall package aligned to NICE guidance. Requirement to declare on the FP17 which recall interval the patient is currently on. A robust clinical monitoring process must take place to confirm that the patient is on the appropriate risk assessed recall package

Signed

Jeremy Miles — Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, one of the Welsh Ministers — 9 February 2026

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations set out, for Wales, the framework for general dental services contracts under section 57 of the National Health Service Act 2006 (“the Act”).

Part 2 of the Regulations prescribes the conditions which, in accordance with section 59 of the Act, must be met by a contractor before the Local Health Board may enter into a general dental services contract with it.

Part 3 of the Regulations prescribes the procedure for pre-contract dispute resolution, in accordance with section 62(2) of the Act. Part 3 applies to cases where the contractor is not a health service body. In cases where the contractor is such a body, the procedure for dealing with pre-contract disputes is set out in section 7 of the Act.

Part 4 of the Regulations sets out the procedures, in accordance with section 62(3) of the Act, by which the contractor may obtain health service body status.

Part 5 of (and Schedules 1 to 5 to) the Regulations prescribe the terms which, in accordance with sections 61 and 62 of the Act, must be included in a general dental services contract (in addition to those contained in the Act). It includes, in regulation 14, a description of the services which must be provided to patients under general dental services contracts pursuant to section 58 of the Act.

The prescribed terms include terms relating to—

Part 6 of the Regulations makes transitional provisions. An existing contract has effect on and after 1 April 2026 as if it were a contract entered into under these Regulations.

Regulation 31 and Schedule 5 sets out the way patient charges are to be collected and calculated as well as providing for exemptions in certain circumstances.

The Regulations also make amendments to the National Health Service (Dental Charges) (Wales) Regulations 2006 in order to change the way patient charges are calculated.

These Regulations also make amendments to the National Health Service (Personal Dental Services Agreements) (Wales) Regulations 2006 in order to align the way mandatory services and patient charges are provided for in those Regulations.

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result, a regulatory impact assessment has been prepared as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with these Regulations. A copy can be obtained by contacting the Health and Social Services Group, Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NQ.

Footnotes

Timing of prevention services

Editorial notes