NHS dentistry is facing a “twin crisis of access and affordability”, according to the watchdog Healthwatch England, which means in reality for many people NHS dentistry no longer exists.
The latest data from Healthwatch has found some patients being told they have to wait up to three years for appointments, although if they go private they can be seen within a week, with other patients unable to find a dentist that will do NHS work.
Healthwatch England has been monitoring how dentistry has fared during the Covid-19 pandemic. Over many months the organisation has documented a catalogue of problems with accessibility and affordability with the two groups suffering the most – those on low incomes and ethnic minorities.
Full story in The Lowdown, 28 May 2021
