Manchester health bosses suggest dental delays are the ‘new normal’
Health bosses in Manchester have suggested that difficulties getting dental appointments and delays are the “new normal.”
Speaking at a recent meeting of Trafford Council’s health and scrutiny committee, head of primary care for Greater Manchester, Ben Squires, admitted that he didn’t know when the situation would improve. Mr Squires revealed the findings of a report into dental services in the region, which highlighted widespread issues. Patients in Greater Manchester are waiting to see a dentist and many are unable to find dentists offering new NHS places.
Mr Squires explained that the pandemic continues to take its toll on dental services in Greater Manchester and beyond. Across the country, the demand for services far outweighs the supply.
This means that there are long waiting times for treatment and large numbers of patients who can’t find a dentist. Although practices reopened in June 2020, they have been operating under restrictions, which reduce “throughput,” Mr Squires confirmed. Using enhanced PPE and seeing patients with more complex needs, which takes longer, mean that there are still substantial backlogs.
During the meeting, councillors asked Mr Squires several questions about local dental services, including when the system would return to normal. The answer, Mr Squires responded, was impossible to give, as dentists are operating under different conditions and there are backlogs to work through.
The report showed that NHS dental capacity is increasing but it has still not yet reached pre-pandemic levels. In many cases, NHS dental practices are still prioritising urgent cases and patients who have the greatest need, which is making it more challenging to access routine care.
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