A new report compiled by Healthwatch Bath & North East Somerset has revealed that as of November 2021, no dental practices in the district were taking on new NHS patients.
A review of services across Bath and the surrounding area saw 28 NHS practices contacted and asked a series of questions on the dental options available for residents.
Along with there being no NHS patient availability, all of the practices reported that they were unable to take on children under the age of 18, and none had plans to take on new patients in the next three months.
Feedback received by Healthwatch England showed that between April 2020 and September 2021, four out of five people reported struggling to access NHS dental care including emergency treatment.
The findings come at a time when it was revealed that nearly 1,000 dental practitioners have left the NHS nationally in the past twelve months.
In the local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area, which covers Bath & North East Somerset, Wiltshire and Swindon, the number has fallen from 446 to 405.
Commenting on the situation, Bath MP Wera Hobhouse said: “The lack of NHS dentists, both across the country and here in Bath, is a real crisis for people.
“A number of constituents have written to me about this on behalf of themselves, their elderly parents and their children. As well as being unable to sort out urgent care, people are storing up problems for the future without regular checkups.
“Funding for NHS dentistry has been neglected by the Government for years, and we are now seeing the damaging results for both the public and dental professionals.
“The Conservatives talk a good game about the NHS, but leaving so many people without access to a dentist shows just how little they really care about the nation’s health.”
B&NES Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Communities and Culture, Cllr Dine Romero said: “Falling NHS dentists across our region is very worrying and will have an impact on many people’s health.
“Ultimately, people’s health must come first and the Conservative’s are failing people across the region. We need urgent action to address the shortage.”
