Dental care briefing

Download (PDF 272.17 KB)

Summary of report content

Healthwatch Bath and North East Somerset wrote a briefing on their feedback on access to NHS dentistry.  The main issues raised were:

  • Not being able to find an NHS dentist who will treat people
  • Not being able to get treatment when in pain
  • Dentists will only treat children as NHS patients if their parents sign up as private patients
  • Very high cost of private dentistry.

Their volunteers also contacted 46 dental services across Bath and North East Somerset:

Two dental practices have closed

  • Only two dental services are taking on children and young people as NHS patients
  • Of the 19 dental practices who say they have both NHS and private patients, no services are taking adults as NHS patients
  • 24 practices are providing routine appointments for patients
  • 26 practices have websites and only five dental practices offer booking online appointments for patients through their website
  • 20 practices have email, with three practices offering online booking forms

The report has two recommendations about information on dentists websites about whether they are taking on NHS patients and the cost of NHS treatment.

Would you like to look at:

General details

Local Healthwatch
Healthwatch Bath and North East Somerset
Publication date
Date evidence capture began
Date evidence capture finished
Key themes
Access to services
Booking appointments
Communication with patients; treatment explanation; verbal advice
Cost and funding of services
Written information, guidance and publicity
Service organisation, delivery, change and closure
Waiting for appointments or treatment; waiting lists for treatment

Methodology and approach

Was the work undertaken in partnership with another organisation?
No
Primary research method used
General feedback
If an Enter and View methodology was applied, was the visit announced or unannounced?
N/A

Details of health and care services included in the report

Details of health and care services included in the report
Dentist

Details of people who shared their views

Number of people who shared their views
0
Age group
Not known
Gender
Not known
Is the gender identity of people in the report the same as the sex they were assigned at birth?
Not known
Sexual orientation
Not known
Does this report feature carers?
Yes
Did you find this attached report useful?
0
No votes have been submitted yet.