The problems facing access to dentistry in Liverpool is “getting worse” and people are “more desperate than ever” according to a health charity.
Healthwatch Liverpool has outlined what it thinks needs to be done to tackle what it describes as a backlog of untreated dental issues continuing to grow across the city. In its annual report published in August, the charity - which assesses how health and social care services are used across the country - said almost 2,000 people have sought support to access an NHS dentist this year, an increase of more than 350% on the 12 months previous.
According to a document published on the state of dentistry in Liverpool, the city has “lower numbers of people receiving check-ups or early treatment” leading to “dental problems getting worse and taking more time to treat. The problem is getting worse not better and people calling us are more desperate than ever.”
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As per NHS Digital data, Liverpool has a lower number of dentists per 100,000 population than most of the rest of Merseyside and Cheshire. Healthwatch said as of this month, just one in the city is able to take on new patients.
The report said: “The only option for people to be seen who are not already signed up with an NHS dentist is to sign up with a dental practice as a private patient, but this is not affordable for most people locally, even before the cost-of-living crisis.” This is phishing people “out of desperation” to pay for private care through savings, juggling finances of borrowing money, the charity claimed.
It added: “We are often in the uncomfortable position of telling people that it might be years before they will get an NHS dentist, but that private care is immediately available to those who can pay.” According to Healthwatch data, only a third of Liverpool adults have been able to see an NHS dentist in the past two years.
In a bid to tackle the issue, Healthwatch has called on the NHS to provide “honest communication” to the public about the scale of the dental challenge and how long it will take to access and appointment. The charity has asked for an action plan “to stabilise and then restore NHS provision locally including fair access to the existing provision during the recovery period to minimise harm and inequality.”
It said targeted action is needed to improve access to dental care, as well as action to encourage recruitment and retention of NHS dentists. The ECHO contacted the NHS for comment.
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