Most dentists in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset are not taking on new NHS patients. Exclusive analysis of the 98 practices in the area on the NHS’s “Find a dentist” website has revealed 83, or 85 per cent, are not currently accepting adults aged 18 or over.
That figure rises from 78% in South Gloucestershire to 84% in Bristol and 92% in North Somerset. In fact in two constituencies – Bristol Central and Thornbury and Yate in South Gloucestershire – not a single NHS dentist is accepting new adult patients.
And in reality, many of those that say they are accepting new adult patients “when availability allows” may still have years-long waiting lists.
According to the map, there is only one dentist in central Bristol – mydentist, on Old Market, which falls under the Bristol East constituency – that is accepting children and adults, including those entitled to free dental care.
Those who cannot get NHS appointments are largely reliant on expensive private care, with rural and coastal areas some of the worst affected. See which dentists are accepting NHS patients in your area using our interactive map:
It’s not just adults who are affected – 82% of NHS dentists in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset are not accepting children aged 17 or under, and again Bristol Central doesn’t have a single practice accepting new child patients.
A joint Daily Mirror investigation with the British Dental Association then contacted a sample of 100 practices that were listed as accepting new adult patients “when availability allows”. It revealed 84 of these are actually not currently accepting new NHS patients. One stated its waiting list was “at least ten years”.
Taken together this suggests 96% of practices are not taking new adult NHS patients. BDA Chair Eddie Crouch said: “The information on the NHS website was redesigned to give cover to the last Government. But until the new Government keep their promises, millions will face long hours on the phone, struggling to access care.”
Mr Crouch added: “Every week I speak to MPs reporting how deep the crisis in NHS dentistry goes.
“There are votes to be won and lost here, and constituents are looking for action. If this ends up as another line on a pledge card at the next General Election there simply won’t be a service left to save.”
The Health Select Committee has labelled the NHS dental payment contract “not fit for purpose”. It pays dentists the same amount for three fillings as 20, and claws back vital funds from dentistry when practices miss targets.
Along with huge real-terms cuts to the dentistry budget the payment contract has led to many dentists going private. The Tories unveiled a so-called “recovery plan” before the General Election before admitting it would not reform the contract or come with any additional funding. The BDA claimed it was designed to kick the issue of dentistry into the long grass.