Nearly one in four (24 percent people, or 6.2 million people, were unable to get an NHS dental appointment in the last two years, according to analysis of the latest NHS England GP Patient Survey 2024, by Broadstone.
Analysis by the consultancy found that ‘dental deserts’ are prompting employers to integrate oral health into their employee benefits offering.
Two fifths (42 percent) of respondents that could not get an NHS dentist appointment said it was because the dentist was not taking new patients. A further third (36 percent) said there were no appointments available.
Almost a third (28 percent) said they “had never tried to get an NHS dental appointment”, while 20 percent said the last time they attempted to get an appointment was more than two years ago.
Among the respondents that had not attempted to get an appointment recently, 27 percent said it was because they preferred going to a private dentist, while 25 percent said they hadn’t tried because they didn’t think they would be able to get an appointment.
The survey findings were released days after new secretary of state for health and social care Wes Streeting unveiled a major independent investigation into the performance of the NHS.
Dental care reform
Streeting also emphasised his discussions with the British Dental Association to deliver 700,000 extra emergency dentistry appointments and reform the existing dental contract.
Brett Hill, head of health and protection at Broadstone, said: “As a new Labour administration takes power, these figures are yet another illustration of the crisis in public access to crucial primary care services like dentistry.
“Oral health is a key pillar of general health with dental problems posing a risk to wider health, from loss of sleep and heightened physical and mental stress to increasing the likelihood of more severe conditions like cardiovascular disease.
“Not only can this create severe pain and anxiety on a daily basis, but it can also threaten people’s ability to work productively, particularly if issues are left undiagnosed and untreated.
“Given the alarming proportion of people who are trying to receive dental care and failing, it’s no wonder that we are seeing individuals increasingly opt for private dental services.
“With ‘dental deserts’ becoming more common and a surge in demand for private dental care, employers are increasingly incorporating dental benefits within their healthcare benefits strategy.
“Of those businesses that are yet to do so, over a third (34 percent) are either considering or definitely introducing dental insurance over the next three years according to our latest Employee Benefits Survey, demonstrating that demand is only likely to grow.”
“While Wes Streeting has confirmed an independent investigation into the NHS, recognising the key role that businesses can play in alleviating pressures on NHS services and introducing incentives for employers to expand their efforts to sustain the health of their staff, would be a major step forward in improving the health of the UK workforce, and the UK economy.”
