Survey shows 80% of UK adults support overseas recruitment to tackle dental shortages
A new survey carried out by the dental chain, mydentist, shows that almost 80% of UK adults support overseas recruitment to address shortages of dental professionals.
The study, entitled ‘The Great British Oral Health Report,’ revealed that 78% of adults would support increased recruitment overseas to plug gaps in the workforce.
The report highlighted issues in NHS dental provision, with 58% of adults polled suggesting that NHS dentistry has deteriorated in recent years and 40% agreeing that access has become more difficult.
One of the main problems for practices that are unable to take on more patients and provide more appointments is a lack of staff. Dentistry has been hit hard by the pandemic, due to the risks associated with being in close contact.
Practices closed for several weeks during the first lockdown and since then, they have been operating at a reduced capacity. Many clinics have experienced staff shortages due to isolation roles and high Covid case numbers and it has also become increasingly difficult to fill vacancies. Staff shortages mean that it takes longer for dentists to clear backlogs. Appointment numbers are also limited, which means that patients are waiting longer for treatment.
Tim Riall, chief executive of mydentist, said that the report flags a number of problems, including difficulty accessing appointments, despite the “heroic hard work” of dental teams during the pandemic. NHS dentists are under intense pressure, practices are dealing with shortages and many dentists are considering leaving the NHS or even the profession. Mr Riall called for more support for dentists to “fix the dental workforce crisis once and for all.”
Neil Carmichael, chair of the ADG (Association of Dental Groups), suggested that the findings of the mydentist report underline the need for immediate action to increase the number of dentists.
Mr Carmichael urged the government to consider an “army style” recruitment campaign to drum up interest in dentistry and encourage more people at home and overseas to train as dentists.
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