75% of Edinburgh dental practices not accepting new NHS patients
Residents in Edinburgh are finding it increasingly difficult to find a dentist, as data shows that 75% of practices are not accepting new NHS patients.
Research suggests that the majority of practices in the city don’t currently have spaces for new patients. Of the ones that are accepting new patients, more than a third have a waiting list, with some advising patients they may have to wait up to two years to see a dentist.
Reporters in the city contacted 86 practices. Only eight were taking on new adult NHS patients without a waiting list. Many practices had waiting lists or no availability, or they were only accepting children.
Over 10% of practices that are not offering new adult places have closed their waiting lists and several said that they were thinking about shutting waiting lists due to spiralling numbers. One representative said they had recently closed their list because it reached 1,000 people above the agreed capacity.
Lothians MSP Miles Briggs said that the figures show that it is almost impossible to get a dental appointment in Edinburgh, especially for patients who don’t currently have a practice. He added that the situation has been deteriorating for some time, but the latest data underlines the gravity of the problem. Even those who are able to join a waiting list could be waiting between six months and two years to see a dentist and NHS dentists are crying out for more help and support.
Director of primary care for NHS Lothian, Jenny Long, said that the trust was ‘acutely aware’ of the challenges patients and dentists face, with the demand for dental care far outstripping the supply. She stressed that the system is currently under review and added that the General Dental Services contract is negotiated by the Scottish Government.
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