Healthwatch York has published their latest report ‘Dentistry in York – Gaps in Provision.’ which exposes a continuing decline in access to NHS dentistry in the city.
Healthwatch York conducted an online survey across the city in the autumn of 2021. The results show a dramatic decline in access to dental care across the city. Since 2018 their survey showed a 30% decline in the number of people with a dentist, and 71% of people unable to access dental care saying that the main reason was ‘they couldn’t find an NHS dentist’. There has been a huge increase in the number of people unable to access dental care for 2 to 3 years. Over half of respondents reported having one or more problems associated with dental pain or poor oral health including not being able to sleep properly, feeling self-conscious about their appearance, being unable to eat healthy food, being unable to work, unable to undertake physical exercise, or unable to care for someone. One respondent in the report said:
“We have been residents of York for a year now and I have contacted every local NHS registered dentist but none have places. We are now on a waiting list of people over 2,000 long. Please can you advise what options are available to us – private care is incredibly expensive for a family of 4.”
Another said:
“I was in a lot of pain and couldn’t get to see a dentist last year. I tried and tried, but got nowhere, so I thought ‘I’ll pull it out’. I used salt water and it healed up eventually.”
Healthwatch York have once again called for urgent and rapid reform of NHS dentistry. Roger Newton, Research Officer at Healthwatch York said;
“We acknowledge the huge impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the additional pressures that enhanced infection and prevention control measures have imposed upon dental practices. However, we believe that the pandemic is not the only cause of the problems outlined in our report. Access to NHS dental care has been a problem in York for many years and continues to be at crisis point.”
Healthwatch York Manager, Siân Balsom said;
“The continuing crisis in dental care is reducing the quality of life of many people across the city and creating additional pressures in other parts of the health system particularly the emergency department and primary care. We need to support NHS dental practices regionally through the new Integrated Care System (ICS) alongside rapid and radical reform of the way dentistry is commissioned and provided nationally in order to recruit and retain more NHS dentists.”
Paper copies are also available from York CVS reception at Priory Street Centre, or by calling the Healthwatch York team on 01904 621133.
Dentistry in York – Gaps in Provision is the third report that Healthwatch York have produced on dentistry in the city. It follows:
The two latest reports form part of the agenda for a discussion at York’s Health and Adult Social Care Policy and Scrutiny meeting at 5.30 on 24 January looking at dental provision in York.