Online Focus Group Access to Dental Services
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In November 2020, Healthwatch Liverpool facilitated a small online focus group about Access to Dental Care with 7 people and collected feedback from Aril 2020 with 217 people.
The report found that the number of enquiries about dental care has steadily increased since the pandemic, especially in relation to the difficulties accessing NHS dental care. Many people had experienced cancellations and delays to treatment due to the pandemic. When trying to access emergency dental care, some people experienced long waits on the phone. People also encountered refusals to register for NHS dentistry as they were not accepting new patients. The CCG also received enquiries from people outside of Liverpool, who were trying to find appointments here.
The focus group found that the cost of dental appointments was a barrier, with many unaware of the NHS low income scheme and HC1 form. Some patients are more reluctant to go to the dentist due to safety concerns and not knowing what to expect during the Covid-19 pandemic. Most focus group participants had received information from their dental practice about what to expect when attending an appointment.
No recommendations were made in this report.