New interactive map reveals scale of dental access issues in East Anglia
A new interactive map produced by Dental Phobia has revealed the scale of the dental access crisis in East Anglia.
The map, which shows how many dentists are working in each county, revealed significant issues in Norfolk and Suffolk, as well as nearby Lincolnshire and Essex. Currently, there is one dentist to every 2,564 patients in Norfolk and 1 to 3,285 patients in Suffolk. In Essex, there are 3,695 patients to every dentist. The numbers are better in Cambridgeshire, where one dentist serves 1,613 people.
Access problems in the area have triggered reactions from regional MPs, who have been inundated with messages and emails from concerned constituents. The latest to speak out on the issue is Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North. Ms Smith appealed for better information from practices to help patients identify which surgeries are taking on new patients and said that residents “deserve better.”
Since 2020, the British Dental Association estimates that around 3,000 NHS dentists have retired, switched to private dentistry or changed careers. The national shortage of NHS dentists is contributing to long waiting times and patients in many parts of the country not being able to find a local dental practice.
Rural areas are facing significant struggles, as practices are struggling to fill vacancies. Some MPs in East Anglia have put forward proposals for a new dental school in the region, but they have been put on hold by the government, with ministers favouring other approaches to boost recruitment.
The NHS dental contract has recently been updated to increase payments for more complex cases and ensure that patients have up-to-date information about NHS places in their area. The process to recruit and register dentists from overseas is also being simplified to encourage more dentists to work for the NHS.
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