Severe shortage of NHS dentists in Gloucestershire blamed on underfunded and overstretched system
Underfunded and overstretched dentists have caused a massive shortfall of NHS dentists in Gloucestershire, according to industry experts.
If you are an adult and want to register with a new NHS dentist in the county, you will find your work cut out for you. It’s not much easier for parents looking to sign up their children for free treatment either.
While the NHS claims pandemic restrictions have caused many of the problems, the British Dental Association lays much of the blame squarely at the feet of the government for a system that is both underfunded and overstretched, failing dentists and patients alike.
READ MORE: Man ‘kicked and spat at’ hospital staff in Gloucester
Between 2019 and 2021, there were almost 1,000 fewer dentists working in NHS primary care dental services, reducing the NHS dental workforce headcount in England to its lowest level since 2013/14, according to the BDA. According to the NHS website, only two practices in the county in Gloucester and Tewkesbury are currently actively advertising for new adult patients.
There is slightly more choice for children under 18 hoping to find a new dentist, with eight surgeries listed across the county willing to accept new patients, but the situation appears grim all round. Demand has never been greater with living costs soaring with blame being placed, in turns, on Brexit, the pandemic and currently the war in Ukraine.
Naturally, we all try to think of ways we can save money and perhaps those of us who before decided it was worth shelling out for private dental treatment might now have changed our minds.
READ MORE: Care home warned to improve or close after snap inspection
Both NHS England and NHS Improvement South West said the pandemic has greatly affected access to NHS dentists across the entire country because of measures put in place to control infection and spread. This, they say, has not only affected access to services but also, in turn, created staffing shortages and recruitment challenges.
However, the British Dental Association claims the crisis which is fast becoming a fact of life for families across Gloucestershire and the UK, cannot be brushed away as merely a Covid-blip. And they said long-term investment, rather than a short term fix, was needed to address the root of the problem.
BDA chair Eddie Crouch claimed: “A year’s worth of dentistry has been lost, and we are yet to detect any real urgency from government. Patients are bottling up problems and oral health inequality is set to skyrocket.
“Yet far from this crisis being a COVID blip, it now risks becoming a fact of life for families across England. Ministers have recognised the system is rotten, but there is still no timetable for change and no tangible commitment to row back on a decade of cuts.”
He said morale among dentists was very low and many had already left, while others were making plans. “Dentists need to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
“Desperate patients are facing year-long waiting times and it will take more than warm words to halt the exodus from this service and restore access to millions. We need the treasury to put the resources in place to rebuild this service and restore access to millions.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for NHS England and NHS Improvement South West said more than 120 emergency appointments were provided each month in Gloucestershire during the pandemic. And they claimed a new Dental Reform Programme is looking to improve oral health services through developing new initiatives.
“During the pandemic, to ensure those most in need can access treatment, we have provided more than 120 additional urgent care appointments every month across Gloucestershire,” said the spokesperson. “In addition, we have commissioned additional in and out of hours urgent care with our community provider and continue to monitor demand regularly to ensure capacity is available for those that require urgent dental care.
“Looking ahead, the Dental Reform Programme is bringing together commissioners, professionals and the public to improve access to NHS oral health services and develop initiatives to improve recruitment and retention across the region.”
READ MORE: Gloucestershire dentist surgeries face huge backlog after Covid-19 restrictions
On the government’s NHS ‘find a dentist’ site, only Tewkesbury House Dental Practice and Gloucester Dental Care actually state that they are still taking on both adults and children as NHS patients.
Under other practices listed it does not specifically say whether they are accepting new patients and the advice it to contact them directly, stating “This dentist has not recently given an update on whether they’re taking new NHS patients. Contact them for more information”.
However, eight practices in the county state they are accepting children under 18 as new patients, including surgeries in Gloucester, Stonehouse and Wotton-under-Edge.
The full list is below.
Accepting children, adults and adults entitled to free dental care:
Tewkesbury House Dental Practice
Barton Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5PR
01684 276937
London Road, Gloucester, GL1 3HF
01452 310730
Accepting children under 18 only:
Clarence House Dental Health Centre
Clarence Street, Gloucester, GL1 1DP
01452 522720
Windsor Drive, Tuffley, GL4 0QJ
01452 421688
Quedgeley, Gloucester, GL2 4WD
01452 727667
Commercial House, Abbeymead Avenue, Gloucester, GL4 5UA
01452 311882
Woodcock Lane, Stonehouse, GL10 2EE
01453 828327
Long Street, Wotton Under Edge, GL12 7BX
01453 844428
To find out more about all practices listed, follow this link https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist
The NHS recommended people contacted practices directly about becoming a patient, as they said many hold a list for patients who are waiting for routine NHS care and they will be able to advise accordingly.