West Cumbria Dental Project

Healthwatch Cumbria produced a survey for people living in Cleator Moor who are not registered with an NHS dentist, to help paint a clearer picture of the current situation as well as allowing the respondents an opportunity to share their personal experiences and stories.

• Majority of the respondents said that they do not have an NHS dentist, and many were last treated by one more than two years ago.
• A very common issue that was highlighted by 42% of respondents was inability to get into an NHS dentist. Respondents stated that they had tried to get into multiple NHS dentists and were continuously told that these dentists have no space and thus are not taking on any new patients.
• People living in Cleator Moor had slightly better access to NHS dentists compared with the wider surrounding area.
• Majority of the respondents travelled between 0 and 10 miles for dental treatment. However, about a quarter travelled over 21 miles.
• Financial limitations were highlighted to be a big issue for those trying to access dental care. The feedback suggested that a lot of individuals were not able to afford private dental treatment, whilst others were forced to go private despite the additional costs. Some of those individuals that were not able to pay for private dental treatments had been relying on emergency NHS instead.
• There was a lot of concern around children accessing dental care, especially with multiple reports of children having never been seen by a dentist.