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A new report published by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) reveals that 24,300 dentists performed NHS dental activity in England in 2023/24, marking a 0.4 per cent rise from the previous year's 24,227. However, this figure represents a 1.5 per cent decrease from 24,700 dentists with NHS activity in 2019/20. The report covers NHS dental activity and the NHS dental workforce in England from 2019/20 to 2023/24. It is the first release from NHSBSA following the transition from NHS England, which previously issued the report. There were 34 million courses of dental treatment in England for 2023/24, a 4.3 per cent increase from 2022/23. The total units of dental activity (UDAs) rose by 3.4 per cent to 73 million.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has published its latest quarterly report on medicines used in mental health in England, specifically those used to treat anxiety, depression, psychosis, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and dementia. Data from April to June 2024 show that 800,000 central nervous system (CNS) stimulants and ADHD drugs were prescribed to 230,000 identified patients. Both prescribing and dispensing of ADHD drugs continue to rise, with a 4.8 per cent increase in prescribed items and a 4.7 per cent rise in identified patients compared to the previous quarter. CNS stimulants and ADHD medications saw the largest increase in costs among the five drug categories, rising by 6.4 per cent to £36 million. The report reveals a modest increase in the prescribing of antidepressants, with 23 million antidepressant items prescribed to an estimated 6.9 million identified patients between April and June 2024. This represents a small increase of 1.5 per cent for prescribed items and a less than one per cent rise in identified patients compared to the previous quarter.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has disclosed alarming figures on pharmacy closure in England, attributing them to the impact of funding cuts. According to NPA analysis of NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) data, 222 pharmacies permanently closed their doors in 2024, marking the second-highest annual closure rate on record. This equates to an average of four pharmacies closing each week. Nearly 90 per cent of council areas have seen at least one pharmacy shut permanently in just the last two years. NPA chair Nick Kaye voiced concern that pharmacies have been "pushed to breaking point" by 40 per cent real terms cuts to their budgets and the ones still open are left "hanging on by their fingertips" and could be forced to close without "an urgent increase in their funding." "It is patients that have lost out the most, with more people in isolated areas having to travel further for vital medication as well as access to medical advice convenient to them," he said.