A new survey has found that nearly one in four (24%) people tried and failed to get an NHS dental appointment in the last two years.
In addition, when asked why they were unable to get one, most (42%) said their practice was not taking new NHS patients. A third (36%) also said there were no appointments available.
Out of those who had not tried to access an NHS dental appointment, most (27%) said they prefer to go to a private dentist. In addition, a quarter (25%) said they thought they would not be able to get one.
Conducted by Broadstone, the NHS England GP Patient Survey 2024 asked the public about its experience using or accessing GP, pharmacy and dental services.
Overall, it found that 69% had a ‘good’ experience of NHS dentistry over the past two years.
Dental access crisis
Brett Hill is head of health and protection at Broadstone. He said: ‘As a new Labour administration takes power, these figures are yet another illustration of the crisis in public access to crucial primary care services like dentistry.
‘Oral health is a key pillar of general health with dental problems posing a risk to wider health, from loss of sleep and heightened physical and mental stress to increasing the likelihood of more severe conditions like cardiovascular disease.
‘Not only can this create severe pain and anxiety on a daily basis, but it can also threaten people’s ability to work productively, particularly if issues are left undiagnosed and untreated.
‘Given the alarming proportion of people who are trying to receive dental care and failing, it’s no wonder that we are seeing individuals increasingly opt for private dental services.
‘With “dental deserts” becoming more common and a surge in demand for private dental care, employers are increasingly incorporating dental benefits within their healthcare benefits strategy.
‘Of those businesses that are yet to do so, over a third (34%) are either considering or definitely introducing dental insurance over the next three years according to our latest Employee Benefits Survey, demonstrating that demand is only likely to grow.’
New NHS investigation
This comes as health secretary Wes Streeting recently announced that an independent investigation will be taking place into the performance of the NHS.
The report, which is to be led by NHS expert Lord Ara Darzi, will ‘tell the hard truths’ about the current state of the health service.
Using the report findings, the Labour government will then devise the ‘fundamental reform’ needed to rebuild the NHS.
On the announced NHS investigation, Hill added: ‘While Wes Streeting has confirmed an independent investigation into the NHS, recognising the key role that businesses can play in alleviating pressures on NHS services and introducing incentives for employers to expand their efforts to sustain the health of their staff, would be a major step forward in improving the health of the UK workforce, and the UK economy.’
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