Dr. Caroline Robins:

The best way I can describe it is that we are constantly putting out fires. The scheme never lets me cure my patients of disease. I am chasing my tail the whole time. We are faced with patients who have extensive disease needs. However, the scheme only allows us to do a certain amount each year. As a result, I have to decide which are the two most important fillings I can do this calendar year. The patient may need ten fillings. I hope by next year, I can do two more, and two more, and two more. By the time five years have passed, I have managed to do ten but we are back to the start and we start the cycle again. I am constantly dampening down fires where I have had absolutely no ability and there is no funding and no structure in place for me to actually talk about prevention. I should be able to get the disease under control then we can spend the money on the conversation on lifestyle.