The London area with the best NHS dentist access in England
North west London is the area with the best access to NHS dentists in England, figures suggest. Meanwhile, the British Dental Association warns that the NHS dentistry service "has effectively ceased to exist for millions".
It comes a few days after the Government rolled out 700,000 extra urgent dentist appointments in 'dental deserts' where patients struggle to access dental care. Figures from the NHS Business Services Authority, an arm's length body of the Department of Health and Social Care, show there were 1,427 dentists working in the NHS North West London Integrated Care Board area in 2023-24.
It means there were 67 dentists per 100,000 people in the area – up slightly from 66 the year before, and from 65 in 2019-20. Across England, there was an average 42 dentists per 100,000 people in 2023-24, which was in line with the previous year, but down from a rate of 44 in 2019-20.
READ MORE: Barnet man jailed for 14 years after removing condom during sex
READ MORE: 75-year-old who died after attack named for first time as 3 teenage girls charged with manslaughter
There were also significant disparities in access to dental care across the country – Norfolk and Waveney counted 31 dentists per 100,000 population last year for instance.
BDA chair Eddie Crouch said: "Access to NHS dentistry has always been a postcode lottery, but the chances of your numbers coming up are now more remote than ever. This reality is this service has effectively ceased to exist for millions." Mr Crouch urged the Government to fund its pledge to rebuild the NHS dentistry service, which includes the roll out of extra urgent dentist appointments as well as supervised toothbrushing in schools. "Only then will this service have a future," he added.
Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, warned NHS dentistry is "leaving patients struggling to get the care they need". She said dental care appointments are "simply out of reach" in certain areas, leading to "serious consequences" for people's dental health.
Separate NHS BSA figures show only 41 per cent of adults in north west London saw a dentist in the past two years, and 56 per cent of children in the area had a dental appointment in the last 12 months. In England, around 41 per cent of adults had an appointment in the past two years, and about 56 per cent of children did so in the last year.
NHS England's guideline states most adults should see a dentist every two years, and children should go no longer than a year without a dental check-up.
Dr Nigel Carter, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation, said regional inequalities in access to NHS dental services are "shocking" as dental care should be "available at the point of need". He explained dental conditions such as rotting teeth could be prevented with more regular check-ups but warned "it is not something which can now be fixed overnight". Dr Carter added: "Currently the NHS contract is not fit for purpose for either the public or profession leading to a crumbling system."
An NHS spokesperson said: "The NHS is determined to improve access to dental care, and that's why we are working to incentivise dentists to work in underserved areas to ensure people in all areas of the country can receive the care they need. But there is more to do and we are working with local systems to provide 700,000 additional urgent dental appointments and with the Government to reform the dental contract and shape the upcoming 10-year plan to improve our services for patients."
Stay in the loop with the latest North London news. Sign up for our MyNorthLondon newsletter HERE to get daily updates and more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Nurses to vote on pay deal as potential strike looms
Almost 350,000 nursing staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be asked to vote from Monday on a 3.6% pay increase. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has already dismissed the award as "grotesque" and says the vote will be crucial in determining the next steps which could include a ballot for strike action. A bitter pay dispute saw nurses striking in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from late 2022 and through the winter. Some members of other health unions also staged walkouts over pay. With the possibility of another round of industrial action looming, the vote is being billed as the biggest single vote by the profession ever launched in the UK. Ministers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland all announced pay awards following review body recommendations. There was a 5.4% average increase for resident doctors, formally known as junior doctors, 4% for consultants and other senior doctors, and 3.6% for nurses and other health workers. RCN General Secretary Professor Nicola Ranger said that the government had "once again put nursing at the back of the queue when it comes to pay". "Nursing is an incredible career, but despite being the most valued profession by the public we continue to be weighted to the bottom of the NHS pay scale and are set to receive one of the lowest pay awards." According to the Ranger, nursing staff in England have endured "over a decade of pay erosion", which has resulted in "skyrocketing" numbers of nurses quitting. "It is time to show that nurses are valued and, from today, hundreds of thousands of nursing staff working in the NHS will give their verdict on whether 3.6% is enough," Ranger will say. Resident doctors in England are already being balloted on strike action over pay. Other health unions are organising votes on the pay awards. All this may cast a shadow over a government 10-year plan for the NHS in England due in the next few weeks. The Scottish government has already agreed a two-year 8% pay offer with health unions.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Children in most deprived areas more likely to visit A&E and be obese
Children living in England's most deprived areas are more likely to visit A&E, be overweight or obese and suffer from tooth decay, a new report by aid agency Unicef UK has found. The organisation has called on the Government to lift its two-child benefit cap after its findings showed that where children grow up until the age of five has 'a significant impact' on their early outcomes and future potential. In the report published on Monday, every local authority in England was analysed against its level of deprivation and a range of early childhood health and educational outcomes. It found that, when considering early years development, the most deprived authorities were more than twice as far away from achieving the Government's 'good level' target of 75% than the most affluent areas. Only four of the 151 upper tier local authorities in England are currently meeting that target. Nearly twice as many children suffer from late-stage, untreated tooth decay in the most deprived areas (29%) compared to the least deprived (15%), while five-year-old children living in the poorest communities are three times more likely to have had teeth removed due to decay, the report found. Almost a quarter of reception-age children in the most deprived areas (24%) are overweight or obese, while general obesity levels in those areas are more than double those of children in the most affluent areas (12.9%, compared to 6%). There is also an average of 1,020 A&E visits per 1,000 babies and young children in the most deprived areas, an increase of 55% on rates in the most affluent areas, the report found. The five local authorities with the highest levels of deprivation – Blackpool, Knowsley, Liverpool, Kingston upon Hull, and Middlesbrough – were each in the lowest 20% for five of the six child wellbeing measures used in the analysis. Some 1.2 million babies and children under the age of five – 35% of the age group's total population – now live in poverty across England, the report said. It added that child poverty has increased more in the UK then in any of the 38 OECD and EU countries. Among the report's recommendations are long-term, sustainable funding and expanding provision for Family Hubs, recruiting an additional 1,000 health visitors a year and making access to Government-funded childcare hours equal for all children aged two or older, regardless of their location or parental employment. Unicef UK, joined by BBC presenter Dr Chris Van Tulleken, will present a petition calling for investments in early childhood, which has more than 105,000 signatures, to the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday. Chief executive Dr Philip Goodwin warned the consequences of growing up in poverty can be lifelong and said the report's findings were 'not acceptable'. He said: 'There must be immediate, decisive, and ambitious action by the government. Any further delays will entrench inequality and condemn hundreds of thousands of children to poverty and its effects, as child poverty rates continue to rise. 'The Government must act urgently to lift the two-child limit and the benefit cap and commit to investing in the vital health and education services that support children during their crucial early years.' Introduced in 2015 by then-Conservative chancellor George Osborne, the cap restricts child welfare payments to the first two children born to most families. Sir Keir Starmer said he was 'absolutely determined' to 'drive down' child poverty when he was pressed on the two-child benefit cap in Parliament last week, ahead of the publication of the Government's strategy on the issue.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Stormont minister calls for terminally ill to be allowed state pension early
A Stormont minister has urged the UK Government to allow the terminally ill early access to their state pension. Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said it is imperative that Government does more to ensure financial security and dignity for people in their final months of life. The measure – proposed by the end-of-life charity Marie Curie – would allow terminally ill individuals to claim their state pension based on national insurance contributions, topped up to at least pension credit-level. Figures from the charity's Dying In Poverty campaign show that around 111,000 people die in poverty each year in the UK, with more than one-in-four working-age individuals facing financial hardship in their final year. Mr Lyons has written to pensions minister Torsten Bell to press for action. 'It is imperative that we do more to ensure financial security and dignity for people in their final months of life and I am urging Minister Bell to take decisive action on this issue,' he said. 'A terminal diagnosis should not be accompanied by the added burden of financial hardship but unfortunately this is the stark – and unacceptable – reality for too many. 'Marie Curie's compassionate and practical solution would allow terminally ill individuals to access the state pension early, providing much-needed financial stability and some peace of mind during the most difficult of times.' On March 31, the Northern Ireland Assembly unanimously backed a private member's motion urging the UK to implement legislative changes that would enable those with a terminal diagnosis to access their state pension early. It is understood that these issues may be tackled in the UK Government's new Pension Schemes Bill. Mr Lyons said he has committed to engaging with the Department for Work and Pensions on behalf of those diagnosed with a terminal illness and to advocating for greater support. He added: 'I am urging the UK Government to act swiftly and compassionately to deliver meaningful change on early access to state pensions. 'No-one should be facing their final months with the added burden of financial distress and I will continue to press for a fair and compassionate system that meets the needs of those who are most vulnerable.' A government spokesperson said: 'No-one should suffer financial hardship because of a health condition, especially people nearing the end of life. 'And our special rules unlock early access to certain benefits and support systems for those nearing the end of their lives. 'Our Pension Schemes Bill will increase the life expectancy threshold for support from six to 12 months, giving more people the help they need at the hardest time of life.'
