NHS Dentistry: 4 Million Fail To Get Care They Need As Access Problems Go England-Wide: WebDentistry: Home of SmileFinder!
Summary
Recruitment problems have become endemic, with BDA surveys indicating 75% of practices struggling to fill vacancies, and 59% of dentists stating their intentions to reduce or end NHS work. The BDA has called on all parties to remove barriers to care, address historic underfunding and deliver meaningful reform of the discredited NHS contract system. It has welcomed Labour proposals to take ‘band 1’ treatments like examinations out of the charging system, but stressed any moves to improve access must be pursued in tandem with measures to support the workforce. Recent closures and recruitment problems have left families in Portsmouth facing ferry rides, with patients in parts of Cornwall round trips of up to 120 miles to access care. The BDAs Chair of General Dental Practice Dave Cottam said: “Underfunding, failed contracts and recruitment problems are creating a perfect storm for patients.