Queues once again stretched outside St Paul’s Dental Surgery in Bristol as hopeful patients sought to register for NHS dental care. The clinic, which marked its first anniversary since opening in 2024, has become a crucial resource for those struggling to access dental treatment.
Since its launch, the practice has accommodated 13,700 NHS patients, with some traveling from as far as Cornwall. To commemorate its milestone, the clinic opened 100 additional in-person registration slots on Thursday, drawing yet another wave of eager applicants.
Shivani Bhandari, the surgery’s operations manager, highlighted the severity of the nation’s dental crisis.
“The UK simply doesn’t have enough dentists,” she stated. “The issue stems from systemic shortcomings at the top. There isn’t a sufficient workforce to meet the needs of either NHS or private dentistry.”
A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged the ongoing struggle, attributing the crisis to long-standing issues.
“We inherited a situation where desperate patients were forced to queue for treatment,” they said. “While rebuilding NHS dentistry will take time, we are prioritizing urgent care with an additional 700,000 emergency appointments and reforms to incentivize more dentists to offer NHS services.”
Patients Left in Agony
Local dental campaigner Carol Sherman emphasized the distressing impact on families.
“Young children are suffering in unbearable pain while parents feel powerless,” she said. “The opening of this clinic was desperately needed.”
Busharo Ali, a St Paul’s resident, expressed concern for her children’s oral health after years without access to a dentist.
“My three daughters haven’t had a check-up in five years. I just hope they haven’t developed severe decay or tooth loss,” she said. “This clinic offers a chance for improved oral health at an affordable cost.”
Ms. Bhandari revealed that among the thousands of patients treated, some children as young as five or six had never seen a dentist before.
“It’s heartbreaking to witness,” she said.
NHS Dentistry at Breaking Point
Carla Denyer, MP for Bristol Central and co-leader of the Green Party, described the situation as a stark example of NHS dentistry’s collapse.
“The long queues outside this clinic last year highlighted a broken system. A year on, nothing has improved,” she stated. “Government data last month showed that 94% of new patients attempting to access NHS dental care are unsuccessful—meaning NHS dentistry has effectively ceased to exist for them.”
She also raised concerns over the government’s national insurance increase, warning that dentists may not receive compensation for higher operating costs despite providing a vital public healthcare service.
As demand for NHS dental care continues to outstrip supply, patients across the UK face an uncertain future, with many left waiting in pain for the treatment they urgently need.
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