British Dental Association criticises the government, as thousands join waiting lists for NHS practices
The British Dental Association has criticised the government, as thousands of patients all over the country join waiting lists for NHS dental practices.
The latest statistics show that several regions are experiencing severe dentist shortages, with almost 50,000 patients in Cornwall alone unable to register with an NHS dental surgery.
Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen, chair of the BDA, accused the government of reducing spending on NHS dentistry at the same time as increasing NHS charges for dental treatments. There are patients waiting to see a dentist all over the UK, and in the worst affected areas, people are being forced to choose between paying for private dental care and driving up to 50 miles to see an NHS dentist. The BDA has hit out at ministers for underspending and failing to replace a failing contract, which was brought in by the Labour government over a decade ago.
In real terms, NHS spending on dentistry has fallen from £41.83 per capita to £29.69 since 2010, and the BDA has warned that the situation will continue to get worse unless the government acts now to boost funding, increase the number of dental places and improve recruitment prospects for NHS dentists. Research suggests that over 50% of NHS dentists could retire, leave the profession or go private in the next 5 years, which would create a crisis that would be virtually impossible to solve.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health stated that ministers are working with NHS England to improve access to NHS care, particularly in areas with the longest waiting times.
