Hampshire patients waiting two years to see a dentist
Dental patients in Hampshire are waiting up to two years to get an appointment.
A BBC investigation revealed that around 90% of UK dental practices do not have NHS places available for adult patients and 80% don’t have free child places. In some areas, the figure is up to 98%.
Patients in Hampshire have reported difficulties finding a dentist and getting appointments, even in urgent situations. The vast majority of practices in the county are not offering new adult NHS places and those that are accepting names for a waiting list are not able to offer appointments until summer 2023. Some people have been told that they may have to wait up to two years to see an NHS dentist.
A woman from Brighton Hill, Basingstoke, contacted the local press to share her experience. Having called all the practices in Basingstoke, Tadley and Alton, she rang NHS 111 and was advised to contact a local practice that was advertising spaces on the NHS website.
Despite this, when she called the practice in question, she was told that no new patient places had been available since 2020. She has expanded her search area to try to find a dentist further afield but has so far been unsuccessful. She has an infected wisdom tooth and can’t find anyone that can help. Her story has resonated with many others, who have shared similar tales on social media and via local newspapers.
Shortages of NHS appointments are linked to several factors, including treatment backlogs amassed during the pandemic, the loss of over 40 million appointments since 2020, dentist shortages and a shift towards private dentistry.
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