Crowds have once again gathered outside a Bristol dental clinic in hopes of registering for NHS care, with scenes reminiscent of last year’s overwhelming demand. St Paul’s Dental Surgery, which marked its one-year anniversary in 2024, opened an additional 100 in-person registration slots on Thursday to accommodate the growing need.
Since opening, the surgery has taken on 13,700 NHS patients, with some even traveling from as far as Cornwall. Operations manager Shivani Bhandari emphasized that the UK is grappling with a “dental health crisis” and called for systemic changes to address the shortage of dentists.
“The UK doesn’t have enough dentists,” Bhandari said. “We need to change things at the top because there simply aren’t enough professionals in both NHS and private dentistry.”
The situation has prompted statements from the Department of Health and Social Care, which acknowledged the current crisis. A spokesperson noted that the government had inherited a situation where patients were “desperate” and forced to queue for treatment. “We are rebuilding NHS dentistry, but it will take time,” the spokesperson said, adding that efforts include providing an additional 700,000 urgent dental appointments and reforming the dental contract to attract more dentists to the NHS.
Local residents like Carol Sherman, a dental campaigner, expressed frustration over the delays. “You’ve got people, even young children, in total agony and pain, and parents are helpless,” Sherman said. “The opening of this surgery couldn’t have come soon enough.”
Busharo Ali, another St Paul’s resident, shared similar concerns, revealing that her three daughters hadn’t seen a dentist in five years. “I hope they’ll be checked and avoid further tooth decay,” she said, highlighting the importance of affordable care to improve their oral health.
Despite the clinic’s efforts to address the overwhelming demand, including treating patients from as far as Plymouth and Cornwall, Bhandari noted that some new patients, including children aged 5-6, hadn’t received any dental care since birth. “It’s a really sad state to see,” she added.
Carla Denyer, Green Party co-leader and MP for Bristol Central, called the situation a testament to how broken NHS dentistry is. “A year later, things haven’t improved. Government data shows 94% of new patients can’t access NHS care, essentially rendering NHS dentistry unavailable for many,” Denyer stated.
She also raised concerns over the impact of the government’s national insurance increases on the dental industry, warning that dentists may struggle with rising operational costs despite providing public healthcare services.
The continuing crisis in NHS dentistry calls for urgent reforms to address the mounting demand and ensure access to quality dental care for all.
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