Devon dentists 'stop taking on new NHS patients'

Dentists are concerned that regular checks have been falling by the wayside

Dental surgeries in Devon have stopped taking on new NHS patients, according to a new national report.

Healthwatch England said in its report for between April 2020 and September 2021 that "currently no practices" were taking on public health patients.

One Devon dentist also said dentistry was facing a crisis because of coronavirus and a lack of staff.

NHS bosses said they had set up urgent dental centres and were working on a new strategy to improve oral health.

Devon 'worst affected'

In its report, Healthwatch said a "lack of access to NHS dentistry had intensified as an issue for people over the last 18 months" and it was an "issue decision-makers must react to now, to protect our health".

Its analysis nationally found "four in five people report struggling to access NHS dental care".

It added: "Of all of these areas, perhaps the worst affected is Devon, as there are currently no practices showing as taking on adult or child patients."

Dr Ian Mills, who runs a mixed private and NHS practice in Torrington, said urgent emergency dental work was being carried out but regular checks were falling by the wayside.

He said: "A simple filling that could've addressed 12 months ago turns into a large filling, turns into an abscess, turns into the loss of the tooth.

"The longer this takes to resolve, the more problems there will be for patients, the more burden there's going to be on the NHS."

He added that the suspension of elective surgery during the current Covid booster programme was impacting dental patients who needed hospital treatment, and compulsory vaccines for all front-line NHS staff meant some workers would leave the sector.

The Department of Health and Social Care said "vaccinations remain our best defence against Covid-19".

NHS England and NHS Improvement in the South West said urgent dental centres had been set up and and they were working on a new strategy for the South West to improve oral health and make it a more-attractive place to work for dentists.