A health charity has warned it “might be years” before patients can access an NHS dentist in Liverpool.
In its assessment of NHS dentistry in the city, Healthwatch Liverpool has said some people are being forced “out of desperation” to use their savings to pay for vital dental care owing to the apparent lack of public health options. The charity - which assesses how health and social care services are used across the country - has released its latest report on the state of dentistry, to be discussed by Liverpool’s health and wellbeing board.
The document claimed how around only a third of adults in the city have been able to access an NHS dentist in the last two years, while only 44% of children across Liverpool had seen a dentist last year. In both situations, this was said to be lower than the rest of Merseyside and Cheshire.
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The report said how some people were accessing their savings “out of desperation” juggling their finances or borrowing money to pay for private care. It said: “Private finance for dentistry is now widely advertised but risks putting people into debt they cannot afford to pay.
“People should have the option of NHS care.” The report warned it could be a long time before the situation improves.
It said: “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.” The report said the lack of access had led to a backlog of untreated dental issues, lower numbers of people receiving check-ups or early treatment.
The document said: “This means dental problems get worse and take more time to treat. The problem is getting worse not better and people calling us are more desperate than ever.”
As of November last year, Healthwatch Liverpool said there had been one dentist in the city taking on new adult patients “from a small area of the city on a postcode basis.” It added: “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.”
Healthwatch said it was in regular contact with NHS England’s regional team which had been liaising with dentists to resolve the most urgent dental issues which are “impacting on their physical or mental health to a dangerous extent.” The report added: “We need a national conversation between patients, dental leaders, the NHS and politicians about how the NHS is going to meet the country’s dental health needs.
“This will need a united effort.” A spokesperson for the NHS in the North West said: “The NHS recently announced the first reforms to dentistry services since 2006 which will support practices to improve access including giving high performing practices the opportunity to increase their activity and treat more patients, with discussions around further changes that benefit patients and staff ongoing.
“Local NHS dental practices are working hard to catch up following the disruption due to the pandemic and are having to focus on providing care for those with the most urgent dental needs. Anyone who is in dental pain or in urgent need of support, help or advice, can telephone their own dental practice in the usual way.
"If they don’t have a usual dentist and have an urgent need they can contact the dental helpline on 0161 476 9651 (standard local telephone charges apply). We work closely with Healthwatch colleagues, who give valuable insight into the issues and challenges faced by local people, and we will continue to work with them.”
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