Nightmare stories of trying to get a dentist appointment in the North West are coming to the fore after an investigation revealed that some 98 per cent of NHS practices in the region are not taking on new adult patients. One patient in the area have told of how they are being forced to carry out ‘140-mile round trips’ because they cannot get onto a practice’s books closer to home, while another told the Manchester Evening News that he has had three appointments cancelled in the last year in the midst of crushing demand on NHS dental services.
Nine in 10 NHS dental practices are unable to offer appointments to new adult patients. The North West, South West and Yorkshire and the Humber are the worst affected, all reporting 98 per cent not accepting adults.
BBC News contacted nearly 7,000 NHS practices - believed to be almost all those offering general treatment to the public. The British Dental Association (BDA) called it "the most comprehensive and granular assessment of patient access in the history of the service".
