Dental practices in Devon stop taking NHS patients
Dental practices in Devon have stopped taking on new NHS patients, according to a new Healthwatch report.
Healthwatch England claims that there are no practices in the county accepting new NHS adult or child patients. The report covers April 2020 to September 2021.
The report states a lack of access to NHS dental services has “intensified as an issue” during the pandemic and urged ministers to act urgently to “protect our health.”
Nationally, up to 80% of people are finding it difficult to get a dental appointment, but research suggests that Devon is one of the worst-affected areas. On top of restrictions imposed to reduce the spread of Covid-19, practices are also dealing with backlogs and staff shortages.
Dr Ian Mills, a dentist based in Torrington, said that urgent care is available, but routine services have been sacrificed, which is contributing to more complex issues down the line. Relatively minor issues, such as cavities that can be treated by placing a filling in a tooth, become widespread or more severe problems because patients are not able to see a dentist.
Dr Mills also added that patients who are waiting for oral surgery and hospital treatment have been affected by the suspension of procedures and delays in non-urgent treatment. He stressed that the longer practices are unable to provide routine services, the higher the risk of a wave of patients needing complex treatment in the future. This will not only impact patient health and wellbeing and the workload for dental professionals, but it will also put more pressure on the NHS.
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