Nearly 5 million people called NHS 111 for dental problems in the
last five years as millions of patients have nowhere else to
turn.
The crisis in NHS dentistry has been laid bare by new data
acquired from the Government by the Labour Party, which shows 111
calls made this year for dental problems are at a record high, at
over 1.2 million.
Data shows a whopping 3,327 calls a day were made on average for
the year 2023/4 compared to 2,024 calls made in 2019/20. These
sky-high figures even trump the number of 111 calls made during
the pandemic (1.1 million in 2020/1), when patients could not see
an NHS dentist.
Over the last five years, just shy of 4.8 million calls were made
to 111 about dental problems. Many people who ring 111 call with
issues that are classified by the NHS as “urgent”, like severe
dental pain.
These figures expose the consequences of being unable to access
an NHS dental appointment after 14 years of Conservative
government. The crisis in NHS dentistry is well-documented, with
8 out of 10 dental practices no longer accepting new NHS patients
and 1 in 10 people having been forced to attempt their own dental
work. As people are unable to access dental care, their symptoms
deteriorate, and they are forced to rely on emergency services
once their condition has significantly worsened.
Earlier this year, the government announced a handful of
dentistry measures, yet just 3% of dentists believe the so-called
‘recovery plan' will solve the NHS patient crisis.
The government has also admitted in response to a parliamentary
question from Labour that "no estimates are currently available
of the number of urgent and emergency dental appointments that
will be delivered through the plan.”
Wes Streeting MP, Labour's Shadow Health Secretary,
said:
“The sky-rocketing number of 111 calls shows the Tories'
destruction on NHS dentistry is putting the rest of the NHS under
greater pressure.
“After 14 years of Tory neglect, patients are desperately queuing
around the block to see a dentist, literally pulling their own
teeth out, and tooth decay as the number one reason young
children are admitted to hospital. It's time for a change.
“Labour has a plan to rescue NHS dentistry, and reform it for the
long run. We will fund 700,000 extra urgent appointments a year;
deliver a targeted recruitment scheme for dentists in left-behind
areas; and we will get straight to work on reforming the outdated
NHS dental contract."
Ends
Notes
- Labour analysis using Table of NHS 111 Dental Health Calls
for PQ13013:
965,050 - 290 days
Remaining 76 days at same rate = 252,909
Total = 1,217,959
Only 3% of dentists
believe £200m 'recovery plan' will solve NHS patient crisis, poll
finds | Politics News | Sky News
