Posts Tagged ‘NHS’

Health watchdog brands dental information provided during lockdown ‘inconsistent and confusing’

Health watchdog brands dental information provided during lockdown ‘inconsistent and confusing’

A health watchdog has suggested that some dental services provided ‘inconsistent and confusing’ information during the Covid-19 lockdown.  According to a review conducted by Healthwatch, which was carried out between April and June 2020, many people found information provided by dental services unhelpful. The report was compiled based on the experiences of almost 20,000 people. […]


Health watchdog suggests dental patients looking for non-urgent treatment are paying for private care

Health watchdog suggests dental patients looking for non-urgent treatment are paying for private care

A health watchdog has suggested that patients who are looking for non-essential dental treatment are being forced to pay for private care.  Representatives from Healthwatch England claim to have received several calls from patients who were unable to access services at an NHS clinic. People have contacted the body after failing to get an appointment […]


Dental appointments drop in 2020, as Covid-19 lockdowns take their toll

Dental appointments drop in 2020, as Covid-19 lockdowns take their toll

NHS figures show that the number of people accessing NHS dental care has fallen in 2020. Statistics from NHS Digital suggest that there has been a 4% decrease in the number of patients seeing a dentist in England in the 24-month period leading up to the end of June 2020. Although it is likely that […]


The British Dental Association warns of impending access crisis

The British Dental Association warns of impending access crisis

The British Dental Association has warned of an impending dental access crisis in the aftermath of prolonged Covid-19 lockdowns and restricted patient numbers. The BDA suggested that patient numbers have “fallen off a cliff” in England since March, with the majority of practices closed for several weeks. NHS Digital figures for Shropshire show that patient […]


Scottish dentists worry about ‘paralysing’ NHS Coronavirus guidelines

Scottish dentists worry about ‘paralysing’ NHS Coronavirus guidelines

Dentists in Scotland are worried about the implications of ongoing Coronavirus restrictions.  Sheila Macintyre, from the Scottish Dental Association, claims that the current guidelines are contributing to the paralysis of NHS dentistry. Ms Macintyre, who runs a practice in Renfrewshire, suggested that the policies currently enforced by the Scottish Government have created a two-tier NHS […]


Local authorities raise concerns over sudden surge in demand for post-lockdown dental treatment

Local authorities raise concerns over sudden surge in demand for post-lockdown dental treatment

Local authority leaders have raised concerns over a sudden surge in demand for post-lockdown dental treatment.  In 2018/2019, NHS figures suggested that 177 multiple-tooth extractions were carried out on under 18’s every working day in England. This figure represented an increase of 17% compared to numbers for 2012/2013. The number of procedures rose from 38,208 […]


Blackburn dentists provide 1,500 fewer free dental treatments 

Blackburn dentists provide 1,500 fewer free dental treatments 

Dentists in Blackburn and Darwen have provided more than 1,500 fewer free dental treatments in the first six months of 2020, statistics show.  NHS figures revealed that adults in the area received 14,265 free treatments in the first six months of 2020. This figure is 1,708 lower than the number of free courses issued in […]


Leading UK dentist encourages patients with symptoms of mouth cancer to get checked out

Leading UK dentist encourages patients with symptoms of mouth cancer to get checked out

A leading UK dentist is urging patients who have symptoms of mouth cancer to get checked out, as routine dental services remain suspended.  Although most practices are now up and running again, most are prioritising urgent cases and rescheduling treatments, which were cancelled during lockdown. For many, it is not yet possible to book a […]


Dental practices given the green light to offer aerosol-generating procedures in Scotland

Dental practices given the green light to offer aerosol-generating procedures in Scotland

Dental practices in Scotland have been given the green light to provide aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) for urgent cases from the 17th August. As part of the latest phase of lockdown easing, dentists will soon be able to offer AGPs to patients who require urgent treatment. Previously, clinics could only provide non-aerosol treatments.  The Scottish Government […]


University of Central Lancashire opens emergency dental hub to boost urgent NHS services

University of Central Lancashire opens emergency dental hub to boost urgent NHS services

The University of Central Lancashire has opened a new emergency dental hub to provide additional support for the NHS. In association with the NHS and FMCS Emergency Dental Service, the university has set up an urgent dental centre at its Preston campus. The aim is to provide support for existing urgent and out of hours […]