Why It’s So Hard to Find an NHS Dentist

Finding an NHS dentist in West Berkshire is notoriously difficult. Although the Newbury constituency is home to 20 dental practices, only a tiny fraction accepts new NHS patients. 

It’s a similar picture nationwide. According to a BBC investigation, nine in 10 NHS dental practices are not accepting new adult patients, leaving 13 million people with no option but to pay privately – or not go at all. According to research by Healthwatch, one in five people avoid going to the dentist due to the price, with 60% of adults going more than two years between check-ups. 

Poor oral hygiene increases the risk of several serious health issues, including heart disease and strokes. Regular check-ups are not only essential for preventing such conditions, but also for detecting early signs of diabetes, high blood pressure and nutritional deficiencies. In other words, a lack of affordable dental care has huge consequences for the nation’s health.

Although many dentists wish to provide affordable dental care, the system makes it increasingly difficult to do so. On recent visits to local practices, I learned that NHS dental funding is based on Units of Dental Activity (UDA), which means practices receive a certain amount per treatment administered. 

However, there’s often a large discrepancy between the funds received and the real cost of delivering treatment. For example, an NHS dentist receives the same level of funding for fitting five fillings as they do for fitting one, leaving practices out of pocket for delivering essential care.  

The ‘clawback’ system also adds to this pressure. If a practice fails to meet at least 96% of its NHS treatment target, the NHS will clawback the value of the missing UDAs. In theory, this system is designed to guarantee provision of NHS services. The problem is that these targets are often unattainable, particularly given that most dentists need to supplement their NHS work with privately funded appointments in order to survive. 

While many practices are struggling to deliver NHS care, others are locked out of the system altogether. Timothy Stokes, the owner of LifeSmiles in Thatcham, explained that he would love to offer NHS services, but there hasn’t been a new contract tendered in the area since 2008. This means it’s simply not possible. 

However, NHS appointments aren’t all that’s lacking. Dentists across the constituency have highlighted a growing skills shortage, which is making it difficult to recruit qualified professionals. This is caused by a combination of factors, including people leaving the sector due to workload pressures and stress, and fewer people entering UK dentistry due to Brexit and an Overseas Registration Examination (ORE) backlog., which the Government recently committed to reducing.

Given the importance of oral health, it is essential that NHS dental care is accessible, affordable and abundant. That is why the Liberal Democrats are calling for a £750m NHS dentistry rescue package. It is also why I have written to the Health Secretary outlining the issues facing Newbury’s dental practices.  

Patients should not priced out of receiving essential healthcare, and dentists should not be forced to rely on private patients to prop up their surgeries. Dental care is a priority, not a privilege.