Access to NHS dentists improving, says report

Access in South Yorkshire is significantly higher than the overall average for England, the report says

South Yorkshire residents have a "significantly" better than average chance of getting an appointment with an NHS dentist, according to a report.

The study from NHS South Yorkshire said that, while many more people were accessing an NHS dentist before the pandemic, Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham had all experienced slow improvements over the last two years.

It found on average more than 50% of adults were able to access an NHS dentist in these areas, while the average in England was only 40.7% by the end of June last year.

The figures have been compiled for health officials in South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire ahead of them meeting on Monday.

The proportion of children seeing an NHS dentist in South Yorkshire was also above average, at between 55% and 60% between June 2022 and June 2023, ahead of the England average of 52.7%.

But the report warned of "higher levels of tooth decay than both regionally and nationally" among children.

The report said: "There continues to be a backlog of dental care with demand for NHS care being significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels at all practices.

"While the number of available appointments for regular and routine treatment is increasing, and access figures are gradually improving, dental practices continue to balance the challenge of clearing any backlog with managing new patient demand.

"Whilst restoration of dental activity continues, it is encouraging that the latest figures for access to 30 June 2023 show that access levels in SY amongst adults and children shows an improving picture across all four places.

"There is significantly better access in SY than in England overall."

The findings will be discussed at Monday's meeting of the South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

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