Up to 96% of dental practices in England are unable to take on new adult NHS patients, suggest findings from a new Daily Mirror investigation.
The newspaper found that 4,800 (73%) dental practices on the NHS ‘Find a Dentist’ website are currently not accepting new adult patients. In addition, there was not a single NHS dentist accepting new adult patients in 10% of constituencies.
Together with the British Dental Association (BDA), the newspaper then contacted 100 practices which were listed as accepting new adult patients ‘when availability allows’. However, this revealed that 84 were in fact not currently accepting new patients, with one practice’s waiting list as long as ten years.
As a result, this suggests that the actual figure of practices not accepting new adult NHS patients is closer to 96%, as opposed to the 73% indicated by the NHS website.
Following these findings, the BDA has stated that the government ‘must show urgency and ambition’ on its promise to reform the NHS dental contract. The professional body also stresses that ‘there simply won’t be a service left to save without rapid action’.
Level of access ‘exaggerated’
The BDA believes that the changes made to the NHS website under the last government have made it ‘all but impossible’ to identify whether practices are accepting new patients.
Previously, practices were ask to state if they were taking new NHS patients with a yes or no question. The website update now asks practices whether they can do so ‘when availability allows’. This change was implemented by the former government following the announcement of its dental recovery plan.
According to the BDA, this change seems ‘designed to exaggerate the levels of access available to patients’.
Eddie Crouch, BDA chair, said: ‘Every week I speak to MPs reporting how deep the crisis in NHS dentistry goes.
‘There are votes to be won and lost here, and constituents are looking for action. If this ends up as another line on a pledge card at the next general election, there simply won’t be a service left to save.
‘The information on the NHS website was redesigned to give cover to the last government. But until the new government keep their promises, millions will face long hours on the phone, struggling to access care.’
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