Healthwatch calls for Government to take action as pandemic leaves yet more people unable to access NHS dentists
Nationally, Healthwatch – the independent champion for people using health and social care services – has experienced a 452% increase in feedback on the issue in the second quarter of the year, with continuing accounts of people being left in pain, resorting to ‘DIY’ repair methods and in some cases even extracting their own teeth.
The increase in feedback comes after the British Dental Association reported that treatments delivered by NHS dental services in England are at a quarter of pre-COVID levels, with more than 14.5 million fewer procedures taking place.
Healthwatch England today reveals that a review of 1,300 people’s experiences of accessing dental care found that:
More than 7 in 10 people (73%) found it difficult to access help and support when they needed it.
- Access issues were caused by dentists not taking on NHS patients, as well as conflicting advice from different parts of the NHS about what help is available.
- Many people were offered treatment if they went private, despite research indicating that 40% of people would struggle to afford private dental care.
- The impact of not being able to access care led to many people to experience pain, discomfort and further complications.
Access to NHS dental services has long been an area of concern for Healthwatch North Yorkshire, with members of the public frequently complaining they were unable to register in their local area. The COVID-19 pandemic as exacerbated what was already a growing problem, and we have experienced a 300 per cent increase in enquiries and pieces of feedback on the subject between October and December 2020 compared with the same period in 2019.
‘Inaccurate and out-of-date information’
In its new report released today, Healthwatch England, the national body, says inaccurate and out-of-date information from NHS 111, the NHS website and practices’ own websites have often left people forced to telephone many different practices directly in an effort to try to find a dentist willing to accept them. This echoes a report issued by Healthwatch North Yorkshire last month about COVID-19 in the county, in which we revealed that we had heard from individuals who have been waiting two, six, and in one case even 10 years for a place with an NHS dentist in their local area.
In other cases, we have feedback from individuals who are travelling hundreds of miles to see a dentist as they are unable to access care closer to home. We’ve also heard from people whose ongoing treatment has been put on hold due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Ashley Green, Chief Executive Officer of Healthwatch North Yorkshire, said: “Every time the phone rings or an email drops into our inbox we know there’s a good chance it’s someone seeking help in finding a dentist taking new NHS patients, often because they’ve moved to a new area. We’ve also had feedback on the issue through our Because We All Care survey.
“Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we would usually help them find their nearest surgery taking new patients using the NHS Find Services website. However, we were growing concerned about the apparent shortage of provision across North Yorkshire, and many people were facing long trips to access NHS dental care.
“We also found many services weren’t keeping their entry on the website up to date, leaving people frustrated and facing having to contact dozens of practices on the phone to make enquiries.
“Unfortunately, in the past few months the best advice we’ve been able to give is that due to coronavirus restrictions, practices in North Yorkshire are not taking on new NHS patients and in some cases are unable to provide routine care for existing patients.
We’ve been sharing the official advice from NHS dental commissioners in Yorkshire, which is that all general dental practices are expected to continue to provide remote triage to any patient, regardless of whether they are a regular patient of the practice. Following this remote triage, if the clinician believes the patient needs face-to-face treatment, they will make an appointment with them or refer them to a local Urgent Dental Care Treatment Centre. If outside of normal working hours, patients can call 111.
Recommendations
Healthwatch England’s report accepts that the overall treatment backlog caused by the pandemic will take time to clear due to limited industry capacity and COVID-related restrictions, it makes several recommendations including:
- providing more accurate and up-to-date information for patients;
- providing clarity over NHS dentists’ obligations relating to patient registration;
- making more resources available to improve patient access to dental care;
- reviewing the overall cost to patients of NHS dental care, particularly with a 5% price increase set to take effect before Christmas.
Sir Robert Francis QC, Chair of Healthwatch England, said: “If we don’t improve access to NHS dental care, not only do people risk facing far greater dental problems in the future but it also puts pressure on overstretched hospitals and GPs. Untreated dental problems can lead to pain, infection and the risk of long-term harm, which is comparable with other medical conditions.
“Health and care services are working hard to deal with the pandemic, but we believe the Government and the NHS should give more attention to resolving both long-standing and COVID-related issues in dentistry.”
Ashley Green said: “The fact that we’re able to represent people’s experiences at a national level shows the value of sharing your experiences of health and social care with your local Healthwatch, however small.
“Previously, work we’ve done in North Yorkshire has played a role in a national Healthwatch report that highlighted problems with transport to NHS appointments, and the NHS subsequently launched a national review of non-emergency patient transport. Now we’re hoping that working together, our network can make a difference across North Yorkshire and England to people who have been struggling to access NHS dental care.”
People in North Yorkshire can continue to share their experiences of health and social care services through the Because We All Care survey, by calling Healthwatch North Yorkshire on 01904 552687 or emailing admin@hwny.co.uk.
