New BBC research reveals 90% of dental clinics are not accepting new NHS patients

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New BBC research has revealed the depth of the dental crisis facing the UK.

An investigation into dental services showed that 90% of practices in the UK are not accepting new adult NHS patients. Only 20% have places available for children. In around 30% of the 200 councils in England, there are currently no dentists taking on NHS adult patients.

BBC News researchers contacted almost 7,000 dental practices located across the UK as part of the investigation. They found that 9 out of 10 practices had no NHS availability for new adult patients. This is the most extensive survey of dental providers in the history of the NHS.

During the investigation, BBC employees heard horror stories from patients who couldn’t get dental appointments and those who had resorted to DIY treatment. Most people couldn’t afford to pay for private dental care. Those who couldn’t get NHS appointments were faced with the stark reality of coping with severe pain while waiting for places to become available. Some people were told they may have to wait for over 2 years to see an NHS dentist. Examples of patients who shared their experiences included those who had extracted their own teeth at home, driven hundreds of miles to get an appointment and taken out loans to pay for private treatment.

The study showed that access issues are worst in the South West, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber. Up to 98% of practices had no vacancies in these areas. One practice in Cornwall said that waiting times were up to five years and a clinic in Norfolk had a waiting list of over 1,700 people. In London, access is much better, with almost 25% of practices accepting new adult NHS patients.

The British Dental Association (BDA) said that the NHS service was at a “tipping point” and warned that it could collapse following ten years of under-funding.
The government stated that it had invested more than £50 million of extra funding to make more appointments available in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic.

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