NHS dentistry access almost impossible, Nuffield Trust report finds
A Nuffield Trust report finds NHS dentistry access is almost impossible, with nearly 600 practices leaving the service in a decade.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A new report from the Nuffield Trust has found that accessing an NHS dentist in England is now almost impossible, with nearly 600 practices withdrawing from NHS dentistry over the past decade. The decline has been particularly sharp in parts of the south west and east of England, raising concerns about growing inequalities in access to care.
The report's message is stark: "We have lost dentistry as a universal NHS service in England." It warns that the service is no longer something that covers everybody, and that a two-tier system has emerged where many people are forced to go private. For those who cannot afford private care, the options are limited to suffering in pain or turning to other parts of the NHS that are not primarily designed for dental problems.
New data shows that one in ten dental practices in England have stopped offering NHS treatment over the past decade, which amounts to around 600 practices handing back their NHS contracts. The picture varies across the country, with Cornwall, Devon and Northamptonshire seeing some of the biggest reductions. In Cornwall, more than a quarter of practices that once offered NHS treatment no longer do so.
The report highlights a combination of increased costs and a lack of dentists willing to treat NHS patients as the main reasons for the decline. Dentists themselves are feeling the pressure. One dentist, Vivac Shah, who runs three practices in Northamptonshire, said he still treats NHS patients even though that side of his business loses him money. "We're subsidizing the NHS system through our private patients and long-term that is not sustainable," he said. He no longer takes on new NHS patients and each year considers ending his NHS contract.
Patients are also affected. Alan, a resident in Somerset, said he gave up trying to get an NHS dentist appointment because it was too difficult and too expensive. "I gave up on it really because it was just too difficult to get in to see anybody," he said. Another patient, Zoe, who has been coming to the same practice for over 20 years, expressed worry for younger generations: "It's worrying, you know, it's not us it's the kids that are coming up. What are they gonna do?"
Dentists like Vivac are calling for a complete overhaul of the contract. "It's been a crisis point for over 10 years. No government seems to be prepared to hold its hand up or to make real reform changes that take into account what dentists want," he said. "I see this as a slow death."
The government says it is committed to improving access to NHS dentistry, but with hundreds of practices leaving the system, the contract is no longer deemed fit for purpose by those dentists who are still trying to provide those services.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One |
|---|---|---|
| Nearly 600 dental practices have withdrawn from NHS dentistry over the last decade. | ||
| Access to NHS dentistry in England is now almost impossible. | · | |
| Dentists are subsidizing NHS work through private patients. | · | |
| In Cornwall, more than a quarter of practices that once offered NHS treatment no longer do so. | · | |
| The decline in NHS dentistry has been particularly sharp in the south west and east of England. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This channel gave a concise, report-focused summary, highlighting the key finding that NHS dentistry is almost impossible to access. It emphasised the scale of the decline (nearly 600 practices) and the regional disparities, particularly in the south west and east of England, framing it as a growing inequality issue without including personal stories or political commentary.
- “A damning new report has revealed getting a NHS dentist in England is now almost impossible.”
- “The Nuffield Trust found that nearly 600 practices have withdrawn from NHS dentistry over the last decade.”
- “The decline has been particularly sharp in parts of the south west and east of England, raising concerns about growing inequalities in access to care.”
This channel provided a more in-depth and humanised report, including interviews with a patient and a dentist, and detailed regional data. It framed the issue as a systemic failure, with the think-tank declaring that dentistry has been lost as a universal NHS service. The tone was critical, highlighting the 'slow death' of NHS dentistry and the unsustainable financial pressures on dentists, while also noting the government's stated commitment to improvement.
- “We have lost dentistry as a universal NHS service in England”
- “I see this as a slow death”
- “It's a two-tier system where many people have to go private and if they don't Essentially their options are going to be either Simply suffer from pain or to come to other parts of the NHS which aren't supposed Primarily to be there for dental problems”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.