NHS Dental Access Initiative Cannot Fill Its' Appointments
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- Published: Friday, 12 January 2024 10:13
- Written by Peter Ingle
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GDPUK has reported regularly upon the access crisis, often with children being unable to see a dentist and patients having to resort to DIY treatment. We have at times been sceptical about whether the modest contractual changes and promotion of skill mix alongside ICB’s increased flexibility would make much difference. But a practice in Shropshire may be a sign of better things to come. Or not.
In response to concerns about access, and in particular the effects on children, the Spa Dental practice in Whitchurch applied for further NHS funding and recruited a dental therapist to help increase its capacity. Beginning in October, the practice made an extra 500 appointments available for under 18’s and included school compatible appointment times.
However by late December, the Shropshire Star was reporting that the practice was experiencing an unusual problem, a shortage of patients seeking NHS care. Now with gaps in their appointment book, “baffled” practice managers fear that staff may need to be deployed elsewhere.
Vanessa Giraud from the Spa Dental Group was quoted, saying: “We’ve increased the number of NHS appointments available for children up to 18 but to our surprise and concern, we are not able to fill all the places.”
Spa Dental are anxious that if they still cannot fill the appointment slots, they will need to relocate the dental therapist to a different practice within the group, where there is demand. This would represent a ‘huge loss’ for children in the Whitchurch community.
Managing Director Christopher Hilling says demand in north Shropshire has not matched their experience of rural practices elsewhere. The group runs eight other rural dental practices across England, including locations in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. The low take up in Whitchurch has come as a surprise, since similar children’s dental services provided in other areas are oversubscribed.
According to Christopher Hilling, “In Whitchurch we have NHS children’s appointments all day every Thursday and Saturday and alternative Wednesdays, but not enough children to fill the sessions. The problem is that it may become non-viable for us. We’d just have to redeploy and reduce the hours. It would be a huge disappointment if we have to reduce the number of sessions because they run at a loss.”
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