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NHS Dentists

This Healthwatch Southend report highlights significant challenges in accessing NHS dentistry, including limited appointment availability, outdated information on NHS.uk and additional cost and travel barriers, with particular impacts on children and families during the cost of living crisis.

Access to NHS dentists in Southend

Overview

Healthwatch Southend published this report in December 2022.

The report looks at the challenges people face when trying to access NHS dental care in Southend. It follows concerns raised by local residents about difficulties finding NHS dental appointments.

The report explores:

  • access to NHS dental appointments
  • the accuracy of information available to patients
  • travel and cost barriers
  • the impact on children and families

Why this work was carried out

Healthwatch Southend has received regular feedback from people who are struggling to find an NHS dentist.

The report was produced to better understand local challenges and highlight areas where improvements may be needed.

How the information was gathered

Healthwatch Southend:

  • reviewed information on the NHS website
  • contacted local dental practices directly
  • asked practices about appointments for adults and children
  • looked at national research from Healthwatch England
  • used a case study to show the impact of travel and cost barriers

Key findings

NHS dental appointments are difficult to access

The report found very limited availability of NHS dental appointments in Southend.

Some patients could only access care by travelling outside the area. Others faced the choice of paying for private treatment or going without dental care.

Information is not always up to date

Information on the NHS website was sometimes out of date.

This made it difficult for people to know which practices were accepting new NHS patients. Many residents spent time contacting practices only to find that appointments were not available.

Children are also affected

The report found that access problems were not limited to adults.

Some practices were not accepting new child patients, while others had very limited availability.

This is concerning because regular dental care helps prevent tooth decay and supports children’s health and wellbeing.

Cost is a growing barrier

The rising cost of living has made it harder for some people to access dental care.

People reported concerns about:

  • treatment costs
  • travel expenses
  • phone and internet costs linked to finding an appointment

Patients who need to travel outside their local area may face extra costs that are not covered by the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme.

Workforce pressures continue

The report highlights a reduction in the number of dentists providing NHS care.

Fewer NHS dentists means fewer appointments are available for local residents.

National changes to NHS dentistry and dental commissioning were also taking place when the report was published.

Conclusion

The report concludes that access to NHS dentists in Southend remains a significant challenge.

Limited appointment availability, outdated information and rising costs can make it difficult for people to get the care they need.

These challenges can have the greatest impact on children, people on lower incomes and those who cannot travel easily.

The report highlights the importance of improving access to NHS dentistry and making information clearer for patients to help reduce oral health inequalities across Southend.

Read the full NHS dentistry in Southend report.