'Finding a dentist for my children in Manchester is impossible'

A father from Manchester has said finding an NHS dentist for his two children who both need dental treatment is proving "impossible".

Waseem said his 11-year-old son Essa has two extra teeth growing in over existing ones which hurt when he brushes his teeth while his eight-year-old daughter Huda has a painful cavity.

He said the family had an NHS dentist but during the Covid-19 pandemic they did not have appointments and were deregistered without being told.

"Every dentist is the same story," he said.

"They're saying, 'we can take you as a private patient but not [an] NHS patient'."

A UK-wide BBC investigation has highlighted a lack of NHS dental care across the country.

NHS England said it had invested £50m of funding to help increase access to dentists across the country, equating to more than £7m in the North West.

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