'Major concern' in Bradford over NHS dentist access

More than 1,000 people took part in the Heathwatch survey

A health watchdog has raised "major concerns" about access to NHS dentists in Bradford.

A survey by Healthwatch found 43% of adults and 30% of children did not have access to an NHS dentist, with some being forced to remove their own teeth.

It said a scheme put forward in April by NHS England to treat more than 18,000 patients had not materialised.

NHS England said access to NHS dental care had increased in the city and was higher than that across England.

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Healthwatch surveyed 1,019 people and found that of the 438 who did not have access to routine NHS dental care 10% had attended accident and emergency as a result.

It also found that 30% of parents said their children did not have an NHS dentist, with some saying their children had never seen a dentist.

It said a lack of access to routine dental care for families "undermines public health work on prevention and education".

Last month Healthwatch found that only two practices in the whole of West Yorkshire were taking on new NHS patients.

One respondent said they had tried for eight years to find a dentist, adding: "I ended up extracting one of my own wisdom teeth, which in this day and age is ludicrous."

NHS England said that between August 2015 and 2016 the number of patients seen in Bradford rose by 3,450.

It said 56.2% of Bradford's population had seen an NHS dentist in August 2016 compared to 55.1% across England.