Latest news with #DentistsforAll
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'I have been pulling my own teeth out for last 8 years due to NHS dental crisis'
Patient horror stories are revealed amid a collapse in access to NHS dentists with people in constant pain struggling to eat with rotten teeth and infected gums People are living in constant pain and too embarrassed to smile because of the collapse in access to NHS dentistry, the Mirror can reveal. Today we outline patient horror stories from around the country caused by the collapse in NHS access as part of our Dentists for All campaign. More than 260,000 people signed the Mirror's petition calling for NHS dentistry to be rescued and many of them have written to their local MP with their own personal stories including surviving on painkillers, struggling to eat and pulling out their own remaining teeth. They tell of calling around every NHS dentist in their area to be told they are not taking on new NHS patients and being quoted up to £14,000 to be treated privately. Sally Brudenell told of problems getting a dentist in North Dorset, writing: 'I am in considerable and constant pain from my teeth and dental work that is decades old. I have always taken great care and pride in my teeth but now I don't smile from embarrassment. Please help me and so many other financially poor pensioners' Lizzie Savage, from Durham, wrote: 'Please can the government invest more in dentistry for the NHS. I have been removing my own teeth over the last eight years. Eating meals is a real challenge as I then have to get my small dental kit to remove lodged food inside my gums. I am not a qualified dentist but a disabled NHS nurse.' Monica Finlay wrote to James Asser MP, her local MP for West Ham and Beckton. She said: 'I am 68 years old and retired and cannot find a dentist to carry out work on my teeth. I am a pensioner so cannot afford private dental work. I have one remaining chewing tooth which is now loose. I find it extremely difficult to eat and will only be able to eat soft food once the tooth falls out. I think it's outrageous that dentistry is now out of the reach of most working class people who either cannot find a dentist or cannot afford dental treatment.' Marquita Church, from Cornwall, said: 'I alongside hundreds, maybe thousands of people over 65 who can not afford private dental treatment am losing all of my teeth. With no hope of getting dentures or any kind of help at all. Pulling teeth out yourself is a very painful experience. Not being able to smile is another level. We need NHS dental treatment now, not in five or ten years. Please, please help.' Lack of funding and the outdated payment system means most dental practices are no longer accepting new adult patients. The overall NHS dentistry budget for England has remained at around £3 billion for 15 years. This has meant a £1 billion real terms cut over this period due to inflation. A 'flawed' NHS payment contract sees dentists make a loss on some procedures and has caused an exodus to the private sector. The incoming Labour government last year promised to reform the dental contract but negotiations have been held up by the Treasury which has been reluctant to commit to a substantial funding boost. It means 13 million Brits are living with an 'unmet need' for dental care according to official data. Recent polling suggested that among those who could not get an NHS dental appointment, 26% performed DIY dentistry such as yanking out their own teeth and 19% went abroad for treatment. The Mirror's petition was set up in conjunction with the British Dental Association and campaigning platform 38 Degrees. Signatories received an email notifying them of a debate on the crisis which took place in the House of Commons last week. In response, many signatories then emailed their MP to ask them to attend. One such signatory was Jack Nkala who wrote to his local MP for Cambridge Daniel Zeichner MP, saying the city remains a 'dental desert'. He added: 'There are never any spaces for NHS patients like myself. I literally reduced to using one part of my jaw to chew, due to rotten teeth and infected gums. Could you please assist with this.' Roland Randall wrote to his local MP for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire, Ian Sollom. He said: 'I had polymyalgia a few years ago and my GP put me on large doses of steroids for two years. As a result I lost many of my teeth and I was quoted £14,000 for dental treatment - way beyond my budget. I know many people like me, who cannot get on a NHS list or afford treatment. Something must be done.' One signatory from Bournemouth said: 'My daughter was kicked off our family dentist's list after a stay in an NHS mental health hospital, despite the fact that I updated them constantly about her situation and why she wasn't attending her appointments. The day she was released from hospital, we tried to book her an appointment only to be told she'd been removed from their list. I tried without success to get them to be reasonable, my elderly father tried talking to them during his next visit, but their reaction felt like we were risking our own places by trying to get them to take her back on. 'To be clear, her mental health had no impact on their decision nor did it affect her behaviour during appointments. She's now been four years without dental care or treatment. She's suffering periods of severe pain due to abscesses and other issues. We cannot afford to pay privately but this is what we are being told to do. I just can't believe that this can be happening in Great Britain in the 21st century. Please, will you attend the debate and represent people like my daughter and I? The system is utterly broken and desperately needs fixing.' One signatory was a dental practice manager from a surgery in Durham. He said: 'Every day we get between 10 and 20 calls from patients in pain who cannot find an NHS dentist. It was policy under the last government to demolish NHS Dentistry to save money in the NHS however nothing has changed with the new government. 'We have been contacted by patients who cannot start their cancer treatments because they need a dentist to sign them off as dentally fit before starting chemo and radiotherapy. Or consider the worsening state of children's oral health. Or consider the oral cancers being missed because patients can't get a regular exam. Not to mention life threatening swellings turning up at A&E. 'We kept our books open as long as we possibly could but eventually had to stop taking new patients. We are now in the situation that existing patients can't get appointments for weeks or even months and have no diary space for new patients. Please make a difference, please help.' Jacqueline Keerie, from Derbyshire, said: 'Having been a dental nurse for over 15 years and now in my 70's I never thought in my lifetime that NHS dentistry would cease to exist. I know many people who have resorted to painful extractions by themselves. I feel thoroughly ashamed that a profession I loved is in this sorry state.' Matthew McGregor, chief executive at 38 Degrees, said: 'In every single constituency across the country, adults and children are living with the consequences of the dentistry crisis: pain, worry, and deteriorating dental health. So it's no wonder that more than a quarter of a million people - including many Mirror readers - have signed our petition to save NHS dentistry and demand urgent action from the Government. 'On top of that, in the last few days alone, thousands of people have written to their MP via 38 Degrees, sharing their own shocking experiences and asking MPs to demand action. Last year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer was elected on a promise to tackle the NHS dentistry crisis and reform the broken system - voters expect him to make good on that commitment. Now it's time they deliver.'
Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
MP's chilling message over NHS dentistry – 'it's abandonment not healthcare'
Mirror's Dentists for All campaign has been praised in the House of Commons debate as an MP blamed a 'conspiracy of silence' around the crisis in getting an NHS dentist MPs have told how their constituents are having their lives blighted by oral health problems because they cannot get an NHS dentist. A debate in the House of Commons heard about children suffering agonising toothache and a woman in her 40s losing half her teeth. Labour backbench MP Melanie Onn MP was granted a Parliamentary debate on the crisis and paid tribute to the Mirror 's Dentists for All campaign. Ms Onn said: 'Currently one in three people in deprived areas experience tooth decay. This is a shocking statistic that simply must be addressed. Over 260,000 people have signed a petition led by the British Dental Association, the Women's Institute and the Daily Mirror calling on the Government to urgently deliver on their promise to reform NHS dentistry. This demand could not be more urgent. 'Catherine, one of many constituents who have written to me with issues around dental provision locally, had been with her dentist for over a decade. During the pandemic a simple missed appointment, that was cancelled by the surgery itself, saw her removed from her regular appointments. She has since been unable to join other practices and told that waiting lists will take two years. 'In the meantime she has suffered devastating deterioration to her oral health, losing all of her back teeth, suffering an infected crown, bridge and facing the real fear of losing her top teeth too. Catherine is only in her 40s. She was quoted £14,000 privately for treatment. She simply cannot afford that. She has had to endure constant pain that no-one should have to bear.' Currently the NHS budget for England is only enough for around half of the population to get treated. The 'flawed' NHS payment contract sees dentists make a loss on some procedures and has caused an exodus to the private sector. Contract reform is a key demand of the Mirror campaign which is putting pressure on the Treasury to fully fund the service after over a decade of real terms cuts under the Tories. Chris Webb, Labour MP for Blackpool South, told the Commons: 'Anyone who has had tooth ache knows the unbearable agony in those moments. There's nothing worse. But imagine watching your four-year-old child suffer that same pain, and imagine that they can't be helped. This was the reality of my constituent Louise, a single mum. 'Louise got in touch with me at breaking point to watch her son suffer through constant distress, crying in agony, unable to sleep, refusing to eat. When she managed to see an emergency dentist she was told he would need between four and eight teeth extracted but the wait time for the procedure was up to two years. Louise was left with no choice but to manage her son's pain with Calpol. That's not healthcare. It's abandonment.' The £3 billion NHS dentistry budget for England is only enough to treat around half of the population. Some 13 million people are living with an 'unmet need' for dental care according to official data. Recent polling suggested that among those who could not get an NHS dental appointment, 26% performed DIY dentistry such as yanking out their own teeth and 19% went abroad for treatment. Lizzi Collinge, the Labour MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, said: 'We don't have to look far to see the root of the problem. I speak, dentists have been telling us for years that the NHS dental contract is not fit for purpose. The contract creates perverse incentives that's also discouraged from treating the patients who need them the most.' Dr Andrew Murrison, Conservative MP for South West Wiltshire, said: 'There's been a conspiracy of silence all these years over NHS dentistry. What the Government has to get to grips with is whether it intends that dentistry should continue to be a universal part of our NHS or not, and whether it's going to be exempted from the universality that has characterised the provision of health care services in this country since 1948. 'What I am recommending to the minister is that we are each honest with the public because at the moment we have this pretence around NHS dentistry that says 'of course you have the right to have your teeth fixed at no cost to you'. In reality, in most parts of the country, mine included, that is a complete fiction.' Lack of funding and the outdated payment system means most dental practices are no longer accepting new adult patients. The incoming Labour government had promised to reform the dental contract but negotiations have been held up by the Treasury which has been reluctant to commit to a substantial funding boost. Responding on behalf of the Government, health minister Karin Smyth said: 'Let's be clear there are no perfect pay models and careful consideration is being given to any changes to the complex dental system so that we deliver genuine improvements for patients and the profession. 'It is an immense challenge. There are no quick fixes and no easy answers, but people across the country deserve better access and we're determined to make that happen. Rescuing NHS dentistry will not happen overnight. It will take time, investment and reform, but improving access to NHS digital is key to our mission to get the NHS back on its feet and fit for the future."
Daily Mirror
15-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Dentists called upon to help save the NHS service in big win for Mirror campaign
Dentists across the country will be consulted on their costs to help revamp the 'flawed' NHS payment contract which sees them make a loss on some procedures - causing an exodus to the private sector A first stage towards saving NHS dentistry has been launched by the Government in a major win for the Mirror. Dentists across the country will be consulted on their costs to help revamp the 'flawed' NHS payment contract which sees them make a loss on some procedures and has caused an exodus to the private sector. Separately the Mirror's Dentists for All campaign is set to be debated in the House of Commons to discuss why only around half the population are accessing NHS care. Contract reform is a key demand of our campaign and the debate will put pressure on the Treasury to fully fund the service after over a decade of real terms cuts under the Tories. Dentists across England are being urged to take part in a new nationwide survey to help inform the government's reform of the hated dental contract. Dentistry Minister Stephen Kinnock said: 'We are working to fix an NHS dentistry sector left broken by years of neglect. We have already rolled out an extra 700,000 urgent dentistry appointments and introduced a supervised toothbrushing programme to prevent tooth decay in young children in the most deprived communities. 'More work is needed, but to find the right solution we must make sure we are clear about the problem. Through this survey, we will gain a better understanding of the pressures faced by the sector so we can fix them and deliver better care for patients through our Plan for Change.' Labour backbench MP Melanie Onn MP has been granted a three-hour Parliamentary debate on the crisis next Thursday and will pay tribute to the Mirror's Dentists for All campaign. A Parliamentary report by the Health Select Committee branded the NHS dental payment' contract 'not fit for purpose' and described the state of the service as "unacceptable in the 21st century". It effectively sets quotas on the maximum number of NHS patients a dentist can see as it caps the number of procedures they can perform each year. Dentists also get paid the same for delivering three or 20 fillings, often leaving them out of pocket. It has incentivised a situation where patients most in need of complex treatment are least welcome at NHS dental practices. At the same time over a decade of real terms funding cuts under the Tories means the NHS dental budget for England is only enough to treat around half of the population. Lack of funding and the outdated payment system means most dental practices are no longer accepting new adult patients. The incoming Labour government had promised to reform the dental contract but negotiations have been held up by the Treasury which has been reluctant to commit to a substantial funding boost. Shiv Pabary, chair of the British Dental Association's general dental practice committee, said: 'This is an important move from the Government. Saving NHS dentistry will be impossible without a clear sense of what it costs to keep this service afloat. Austerity left practices delivering care at a loss. No business can operate like this. Dentists can spell out the facts, but the Treasury will need to act on them.' The professional body warned the Public Accounts Committee earlier this year that the Treasury has become reliant on practices delivering care at a loss - fuelling an exodus of NHS dentists into lucrative private work. The BDA estimates a typical practice loses over £40 delivering a set of NHS dentures and £7 for every new patient exam. NHS dental charges have now gone up by almost half in the last decade, well above inflation. Patients are being asked to pay an ever greater share of the overall NHS dentistry budget for England which has remained at around £3 billion for 15 years. This has meant a £1 billion real terms cut over this period due to inflation. It means 13 million Brits are living with an 'unmet need' for dental care according to official data. Recent polling suggested that among those who could not get an NHS dental appointment, 26% performed DIY dentistry such as yanking out their own teeth and 19% went abroad for treatment. Melanie Onn MP said: "I'm pleased this Labour Government has brought forward a credible plan to fix NHS dentistry – now we need to make sure it's implemented swiftly. In Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, people often tell me they're struggling to get an NHS appointment or being pushed into private care they can't afford. We can't let this crisis drag on any longer." The Government says the results of its survey of dentists will inform its dental reform programme and the annual pay review process conducted by the independent Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration (DDRB). Practice owners who complete the anonymous survey can also register their interest in participating in follow-up interviews to provide more detailed insights into the financial challenges they face. The survey is open to all dental practices across England until 16 June 2025. Click HERE to take part.
Daily Mirror
23-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Mums and grandmas sacrificing own health in NHS dentist crisis - read horror stories in full
A Women's Institute report has found mums and grans have been disproportionately hit by the NHS dentistry crisis, sometimes going without care to pay for a loved one to go private Dental horror stories from mums and grandmothers have been revealed in a damning report which finds women are being hit hardest by the NHS crisis. The survey by the Women's Institute showed how the lack of access to NHS dentists is hitting women who are more likely to be poor, have caring responsibilities and worse teeth. Its national survey of women exposed how juggling caring responsibilities means they are sacrificing their own health, sometimes going without dental care so they can afford to pay for private care for a loved one. Accounts from 1,000 respondents reveal new mums are more likely to lose teeth due to lack of access while elderly women report downsizing their home so they can pay to go private. The WI's Dental Health Matters report highlights that women are: Sacrificing seeing a dentist themselves to afford private dental care for their loved ones due to the lack of access to NHS dentistry. Self-medicating with online-purchased temporary fillings, over the counter remedies, and overdosing on painkillers to alleviate oral pain. Forced to go to A&E for dental pain due to a lack of access to preventative care, including severe infections. Travelling up to 250 miles across the UK and even abroad to find affordable dental care, Taking loans, using credit cards, and even downsizing homes to release income to afford dental care. Missing out on vital dental care during pregnancies and failing to find any dentists willing to see their children as NHS patients. The Mirror has launched the Dentists for All campaign calling for a return to universal access. Jeryl Stone, Chair of the National Federation of Women's Institutes said: 'Women up and down the country have been left at breaking point by the crisis in dental care. The hundreds of women who took part in our research have shared heart-breaking stories of personal sacrifice, and at the risk of personal health. 'We at the Women's Institute stand united in demanding a fair and accessible NHS dental healthcare system for every woman and their community – this requires urgent reform to NHS dental contracts and offering more training spaces for our dentists of the future. Dental health matters, and so do we.' The WI said its report is the first of its kind looking at the disproportionate impact of the NHS dental crisis on women. One woman said: 'When we first moved I tried every dentist within a 20-mile radius. I am currently on a four-year waiting list for an NHS dentist!' Another woman responded: 'The NHS Dentist left the practice I attend; they advertised for over 18 months with no success for a replacement… if we want to stay with the practice we have to join Denplan.' Even survey respondents who have managed to register for NHS dental healthcare are finding that appointment availability is limited. One said: 'We have now been told that we can only see the dentist every two years for a checkup, which I think is far too long. But I'm too scared to complain in case they take us off their books.' Another woman carer said: 'My 87-year-old mum can no longer afford private dental insurance. There are no NHS dentists taking on patients in her area so for the first time in 70 years she no longer has any dental care.' The report cited previous medical research showing pregnant women are more vulnerable to dental issues due to hormonal changes that increase gum sensitivity, leading to pregnancy gingivitis. The report stated: 'Research has found that there is some truth to the old wives tale 'have a baby, lose a tooth'. Studies tracing historical medical records do indeed indicate that the more children a women had, the worse her dental problems.' Elevated estrogen and progesterone can cause gums to swell, bleed and become inflamed. One mum said: 'I cannot find an NHS dentist within a 20-mile radius of my home for me or my two young children. During both pregnancies, I've not had access to a dentist. I'm on so many waiting lists for an NHS space that I've lost track. Neither child has seen a dentist and my oldest is four.' One respondent's 82-year-old husband had to go private after being unable to find an NHS dentist, while another paid £2,000 for treatment after their NHS dentist became private. Pensioners on fixed incomes reported downsizing their homes to afford dental care, with one person paying over £6,000 for dental implants. One pensioner said: 'I was 74 when my NHS dentist closed. For weeks I rang NHS dentists all over the North East within 30 miles trying to secure a new one. Most had huge waiting lists of 1,000 - 2,000 and no chance of a space for years. 'Shortly after I tripped on a raised pavement and broke my tooth. I had to go private. £155. Six months later I needed a filling and had a check-up. Cost £255. I don't have a huge pension so that kind of money has an impact. I've been lucky all those years as my dentist was very local. Now there is no possibility of getting an NHS dentist in my lifetime. I'm 75 now. It's a terrible state of affairs.' The WI's Dental Health Matters campaign, calls on the government to recognise and act on the impact of this dental health crisis on women, caused by a dental health service unfit for purpose - by reviewing NHS contracts and providing more dental training Crouch, chair of the British Dental Association, said: "The crisis in NHS dentistry is having a unique impact on women up and down the country. "From pregnancy to menopause, as parents and as carers, access problems often hit women hardest. This service can have a future, but only if ministers are willing to pick up the pace and keep their promises. Until then, patients — especially women — will continue to pay the price." 'I'd waited seven years for an appointment so yanked out my own teeth' The report comes after the story of a pensioner who yanked out three of her own teeth after waiting nearly seven years on an NHS dental waiting list. Linda Colla, 76, moved from Nottingham to Devon in 2018 and found that local practices were not accepting new NHS patients. Linda, who receives pension credit, says she couldn't afford to seek private treatment. Speaking last year, she said: "I didn't have any other option. I started looking for an NHS dentist, and couldn't find one, so I phoned the NHS and they put me on the list. I've been here since April 2018, and I started looking for a dentist in June or July that year - and I've still not got one. "Three teeth started to work loose, and it was not very comfortable. It was painful to eat, so I had to pull them out. They were getting looser and looser, so one at a time, I took them out. It was two back teeth and a canine, and they had quite long roots. It was very painful.' Linda told how she wrapped a piece of tissue around the teeth to give her grip and managed to pull her teeth out with her bare hands. She had a dentist and received regular treatment on the NHS before moving to Devon. When she arrived, she was put on a waiting list and regularly called around local surgeries to ask if they had space for her. She said she was prepared to travel 20 miles. She said: 'One receptionist said they'd love to take more NHS patients, but with the budget given by the government they can only take a certain amount.'
