"Have We Reached The Point Of No Return?" Charlwood Throws Down the Gauntlet

"Have We Reached The Point Of No Return?"  Charlwood Throws Down the Gauntlet

As the dental profession basks in ‘90% of NHS practices are closed to new patients’ headline coverage broken by BBC News and conjugated throughout the media recently, the Shawn Charlwood, Chair of the BDA’s General Dental Practice Committee has issued an apocalyptic warning: “NHS dentistry is at a tipping point.  If we’re not there already, we’re reaching the point of no return”.

A statement issued by the BDA on 10th August stated that the Association had worked with the BBC ‘to lift the lid on the crisis facing NHS dentistry. The results are “eye watering” the statement said ‘and shine a light on the shocking state of access to NHS care for patients across the UK.

Viewers, listeners and BBC News website readers woke on Monday morning to learn the shocking findings of in-depth research into the dire state of NHS dental services.  The problem was hotly investigated by callers to LBC and countless other radio shows throughout the day, many would-be patients relaying tales of desperation.

The BBC investigation, which formed the basis of a half hour documentary ‘Disappearing Dentists’ (available now on iPlayer) called nearly 7000 NHS practices. 90% were not taking new adult patients, over 80% weren’t taking new children with one in ten local authorities without a single practice accepting under sixteens.

In over a third of local authorities the research suggests there are no practices accepting new adults.

To the shame of some in the profession – because it’s specifically outlawed in the NHS contract – ‘about 200 practices said they would take on a child under the NHS only if a parent signed up as a private patient’.

Charlwood slammed successive governments for inaction. “Nothing we’ve heard from any UK government in recent months gives us any confidence that NHS dentistry has a future”.

Renewing for the nth time the BDA’s call for contract reform, the BDA statement reiterated that the problem was UK wide and attempts to portray Scotland as doing OK because ‘only’ 82% of practices were not taking on new patients ‘looks like a laughable attempt to deflect from the sheer scale of the crisis’.

As dentists reach the end of their tether – over three thousand have walked away from NHS dentistry over the past two years alone – patients are despairing of ever finding an NHS dentist to treat them. Some borrow from friends and family to go private whilst others are dipping into savings or, in extreme cases, resorting to pulling their own teeth.

“NHS dentistry is now on ‘life support’” according to Nigel Edwards, Chief Executive of Nuffield Trust who appeared on the BBC documentary bemoaning the lack of appetite for ‘real structural and investment decisions required to fix NHS dentistry’.

What’s your opinion?  Have we reached the ‘point of no return’, or are you optimistic that politicians and health planners are finally getting the message? Do, please, share your thoughts with GDPUK’s focussed readership, in our GDPUK dental forum

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