Healthwatch Liverpool warns patients could be waiting years to see an NHS dentist
Healthwatch Liverpool has warned that it could be years before patients in the city are able to see an NHS dentist.
The charity, which has recently compiled a report into health, dental and social care services in the area, suggests that some people could be waiting more than one or two years to access routine NHS dental services.
Data from the report shows that just a third of adults in the centre of Liverpool saw an NHS dentist in the last two years and less than 50% attended a dental appointment in 2022. This includes private dental appointments. The figure in Liverpool is lower than in other parts of Merseyside and neighbouring Cheshire.
The Healthwatch report highlighted widespread issues facing patients in Liverpool, with a growing number resorting to borrowing money or using savings to pay for private dental care. For many, private treatment is inaccessible due to the cost, especially at a time when other household expenses are rising. It has become increasingly difficult, representatives said, to tell people in need of dental care that they can only access it immediately if they have the means to go private.
In addition to mounting financial pressures, patients are also at an increased risk of needing complex treatment if they can’t get an NHS appointment or afford to pay for private care. Healthwatch Liverpool claims that the situation is getting worse and warned that standards of oral health among adults and children will deteriorate.
In November 2022, there was only one dentist in the city centre who was accepting NHS patients and the eligibility criteria were very strict, with places limited to specific postcode areas.
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