Access to dentists in Sandwell

Healthwatch Sandwell carried out a mystery shopper exercise in February 2022 to assess access to NHS dental services across the borough. The project was prompted by concerns from local residents who had struggled to register with NHS dentists or access routine dental care during the Covid-19 pandemic. Healthwatch staff and volunteers contacted all 45 dental practices in Sandwell and asked whether they were accepting new NHS patients, offering routine face-to-face appointments, and providing emergency appointments.

The report found that access to NHS dentistry was extremely limited. Only 7 of the 45 dental practices surveyed (16%) were accepting new NHS patients, while 38 practices (84%) were not. Many practices reported having no capacity for new NHS registrations, operating waiting lists with waiting times ranging from a few weeks to six months, or offering services primarily to private patients. Some practices also expressed uncertainty about the future of their NHS contracts. 

The limited availability of NHS places reflected wider national concerns about access to NHS dentistry during and after the pandemic. Healthwatch Sandwell noted that similar difficulties had been reported across England, with many patients unable to find NHS dental care for themselves or their children. 

Access to routine dental care for existing patients was considerably better. Eighty per cent of practices reported that existing patients could book a face-to-face routine check-up, although many were still prioritising patients according to clinical need, maintaining waiting lists, or working through significant appointment backlogs. Some practices limited routine appointments to patients who had attended within a specified period, while others anticipated normal services resuming more fully after April 2022. 

Emergency dental care was generally available. Forty-two of the 45 practices surveyed (93%) said they could provide emergency appointments. However, access was often prioritised according to urgency and, in many cases, restricted to existing patients. Some practices advised people unable to access emergency treatment to contact NHS 111 for assistance. 

Geographically, the seven practices accepting new NHS patients were distributed across Smethwick, Oldbury, Cradley Heath, Wednesbury and Tipton, while no practices in West Bromwich were accepting new NHS patients at the time of the survey. 

Overall, the report concluded that while emergency and routine dental services for existing patients were largely available, access to NHS dentistry for new patients was severely restricted. The findings highlighted significant barriers to registering with an NHS dentist in Sandwell and reflected the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on dental service capacity.