Thousands lose access to dental appointments

Almost 50,000 people in Derbyshire have lost access to dental services over a five-year period, new figures have revealed.

Local NHS data shows between 2018 and 2023, there was a reduction of roughly 112,000 appointments available under the contractual system that dental practices operate under.

As a result, 48,784 patients in the region saw their access to services reduced.

Derby's director of public health said a new local dental strategy would improve the picture but acknowledged people had experienced "a great loss of confidence" in local dental services due to struggles with access.

Dental services are commissioned by local NHS branches, called Integrated Care Boards (ICBs).

The figures, detailed in the local ICB's new Oral Health Strategy, also show how dental access has reduced since the Covid pandemic in the region's most deprived areas in particular.

Bolsover saw the biggest drop in access, with an 11% drop between 2019 and 2023, compared to 5% in South Derbyshire.

There were also "significant" differences in children seen with tooth decay in more deprived areas of the region compared to more affluent areas.

A total of 25% of five-year-olds in Bolsover experienced tooth decay, compared to about 9% in the Derbyshire Dales.

Bolsover's Labour MP Natalie Fleet said the figures for the area were "heartbreaking".

"There's nothing about this that's OK," she told the BBC. "We're reforming, modernising NHS dentist contracts. That will start from this April and prioritise areas most in need."

She also said she had raised the statistics with Health Secretary Wes Streeting and stressed the need to go "further and faster" to improve care.

People in their 20s and those aged over 80 years had the biggest difficulties accessing care.

The need for urgent dental care in Derbyshire is slightly higher than the East Midlands average, according to the report, although the number of people experiencing poor oral health in the county was generally slightly lower than in the East Midlands overall.

The report notes that challenges both locally and nationally have exacerbated issues to access.

Workforce recruitment and retention, along with issues with the current contract system used to provide NHS dentistry, known as Units of Dental Activity, are also highlighted as factors.

"Workforce issues are particularly relevant to NHS dentistry as NHS dental practices are independent contractors who choose to take on private or NHS dental work," it said.

The impact of the Covid pandemic has also been responsible for "compounding" issues because of a reduction in the number of new patients accepted by NHS dentists and backlogs in patients needing care.

A new strategy to improve access locally has been in place since the autumn.

It will prioritise five key areas, including improving access and preventing conditions from arising through public engagement campaigns.

Derby's director of public health Dr Robyn Dewis said she hoped changes in national contract policy as well as locally through the new strategy would improve the picture.

"People have been really struggling with their oral health," she said.

"I am concerned that people haven't got access to the dental care that they need and we have seen that nationally and locally.

"We have seen a great loss of confidence in oral health, dental health services and what we're trying to do with this strategy is try and improve that.

"Locally, we can make changes and I am confident we will be able to make those changes locally and start to improve things."

The Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board has been approached for comment.

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