Local residents’ experiences of Dental services in Telford & Wrekin

Healthwatch Telford and Wrekin asked local residents to share their experiences of dentistry to understand what major factors influence their experiences and identify any differences between NHS patients and private patients. Engagement was carried out between February – May 2020 using SurveyMonkey, with a total of 50 respondents

Overall, most patients were happy with the service they were receiving from their Dental Practice. Patients would like the booking system to be improved because of the lack of availability and would prefer a more flexible approach, such as offering early mornings or weekend appointments. Appointment reminders were considered helpful. Booking an emergency appointment was difficult. Some patients felt that when trying to book an appointment with the Receptionist(s) their attitude towards them made it more difficult.

 Patients who had an appointment and were waiting to see the Dentist or Hygienist were not offered a reason for any delay. When patients had booked in to see a specific Dental Professional, they were still able to see the professional they originally booked their appointment with.

Whilst only a small number of patients received medication, more than 30% of these patients felt that not everything they needed to know was explained to them.   Over half weren’t aware whether their practice provided information in different ways.

Access to some Dental Practices could be improved, specifically for wheelchair users.