The British Dental Association (BDA) has drawn attention to a wide ranging Ipsos GP Patient Survey, published by NHS England, which has revealed that 5.6 million adults tried and failed to access an NHS dentist appointment over the past two years.
The BDA’s analysis suggests 13 million adults are struggling to access an NHS dentist. Representing one in four of the adult population, the figure is one million higher than the 12 million recorded in the previous year and is ’light years’ from the figure of circa four million pre-Covid.
Dental questions were originally added to the GP Patient Survey in January to March 2010, as the Department of Health sought information on NHS dental access and demand for services based on people’s reported experience.
The latest survey was conducted between January and March 2024.
It reveals that on top of the 5.6 million who tried and failed to book an NHS dental appointment, a further 5.4 million did not attempt to. Asked why, 25% said they did not think they would be able to see an NHS dentist. Others felt no need, worried about the cost or harboured fear and negative feelings towards dental visits.
69% of Patients Report ’Positive’ Experience
The survey did contain some positive news for NHS dentistry. Of the respondents that tried to get NHS dental care in the last two years, 69% of respondents rated their overall NHS dental experience as positive (very good and fairly good).
11% said it was neither good nor poor, and fairly poor and very poor had a 7% and 13% share of the total respectively.
But whilst those able to access NHS dental care are broadly pleased, the providers of it are certainly not and nor are the millions shut out of a system they expect their taxes to provide.
A BDA statement said ’There’s precious little evidence that dentistry has ‘bounced back’ following the marginal changes rolled out by the last government, which failed to tackle the discredited NHS contract fuelling workforce and access crises head on’.
BDA leaders met with the new Health Secretary Wes Streeting on his first day in office.
At their meeting, BDA Chair Eddie Crouch and GDPC Chair Shawn Charlwood made the case for fundamental reform, and pressed for a short-term rescue package to help keep practices afloat.
A statement issued by the BDA after the meeting said "We are cautiously optimistic now that the new government has publicly admitted the NHS is ‘broken’.
We are neither facing denials on the scale of the crisis, nor the role a failed contract is playing in fuelling it".
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