England’s Dental Deserts and the urgent need to level up access to dentistry

In May the ADG published a new report highlighting the recruitment crisis in NHS dentistry and the parts of England at most risk of becoming “dental deserts” without government action.  The top 10 parts of England identified with the lowest number of NHS dentists per 100,000 of population were:

North Lincolnshire CCG                        32 NHS dentists (per 100,000 population)

North East Lincolnshire CCG               37 NHS dentists

East Riding of Yorkshire CCG               37 NHS dentists

Lincolnshire CCG                                    38 NHS dentists

Norfolk & Waveney CCG                      38 NHS dentists

North Staffordshire CCG                      40 NHS dentists

Portsmouth CCG                                    42 NHS dentists

Halton CCG                                              42 NHS dentists

Stoke on Trent CCG                               43 NHS dentists

NE London CCG                                      43 NHS dentists

Other areas of the country struggling to provide access to NHS dentistry in the “Top 20” include the Isle of Wight, Cornwall, Thurrock in Essex and Kent and the Medway towns.

With a joint foreword by Peter Aldous, MP for Waveney who represents one of the hardest hit parts of the country and ADG Chair Neil Carmichael, the paper proposes “six to fix” policy recommendations for Government to solve the crisis in access to dentistry in its pamphlet.

You can read the full report here

 

(Photo credit top left to right: Bupa, Treeline, ADG, Tooth Club, Smile Dental, Tooth Club, Smile Dental, Bupa and Smile Dental)