Hereford mum unable to find an NHS dentist for her family for 4 years
A mum of two from Hereford has spoken out after struggling to find an NHS dentist for her family for four years.
Zoe Backhouse is still trying to find a practice that is taking on new NHS patients four years after starting her search. She said she has contacted every NHS surgery in the county to try to find a dentist for her and her sons, James and Harry. Some have waiting lists and others have already closed their waiting lists because they are too long. Despite trying to join several waiting lists since 2019, Zoe has been unable to get appointments for herself or her sons.
NHS dental treatment is available free of charge for children but Zoe has ended up paying for her boys to go to a private dentist because she couldn’t get an appointment and they needed a check-up. This may not be affordable for Zoe in the long term and many families are in the same situation. The children are entitled to free dental care but the resources aren’t there, Zoe explained, which has left her feeling like a bad mother.
Research suggests that there are currently no NHS dental practices in Herefordshire accepting new patients. NHS access rates in the county are the lowest in the West Midlands region.
A 2019 survey revealed that rates of decay in 5-year-olds were far higher than the national average. Over 31% of 5-year-olds in Hereford had signs of decay compared to the average for England, which was 23.4%.
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