NHS facing dangerous shortage of dentists as there are 'only enough fully trained practitioners to fill one in 12 vacancies'
By LUKE CHAFER FOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY
Published: | Updated:
The NHS faces a dangerous shortage of dentists as research reveals there are only enough fully trained practitioners to fill one in 12 of the current vacancies.
Just one per cent of dentists surveyed said they were looking for work on the NHS, meaning only about 240 were available to fill the 3,000 needed across the country.
Dentists are in a long-running dispute with the Government over the amount they earn from the NHS for carrying out procedures on patients, which they insist is inadequate. As a result, many have been choosing to focus on private patients instead.
Previous research has suggested that nine out of ten NHS dentists are not taking on new clients.
The current shortage of dentists has been linked to a nearly 50 per cent rise in mouth cancer cases over the past decade, with many patients not being diagnosed until they arrive at hospital with severe symptoms.
Government figures suggest there are so few NHS dentists that, at most, only half of the population of England would be able to access an appointment over the next two years.
Just one per cent of dentists surveyed said they were looking for work on the NHS, meaning only about 240 were available to fill the 3,000 needed across the country
MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chairman of the public accounts committee, said: 'It is utterly disgraceful that, in the 21st century, some Britons have been forced to remove their own teeth'
Only four in ten adults have seen an NHS dentist since 2023.
Last year, the Conservative government announced a plan to fix the dentistry crisis, which included a 'golden hello' bonus payment of £20,000 for those who agreed to take on NHS work in areas with severe shortages.
But experts say the latest data, from a survey of almost 30,000 dentists by the General Dental Council, shows that this scheme was unsuccessful.
'Without the vacancies filled, we cannot hope to speed-track reform,' warns Neil Carmichael, the non-executive chairman of the Association of Dental Groups.
Earlier this month, MPs blasted the Conservative dentistry plan as a 'complete failure', with a growing number of patients going into debt paying for private dental care or even resorting to 'DIY' dentistry.
MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chairman of the public accounts committee, said: 'It is utterly disgraceful that, in the 21st century, some Britons have been forced to remove their own teeth.'
Daily Mail
