Sioned Williams MS writes about the lack of NHS dentist appointments
This article was published in the Glamorgan Gazette on Thursday 9 January 2025.
The crisis in the NHS dental workforce
My inbox is full of messages from people across the region who are unable to get an NHS dentist appointment.
It’s not just an inconvenience, because having timely and regular access to a dentist is so important for mouth health. But more than that, it can be crucial in helping to spot early signs of disease such as mouth cancer.
This has been highlighted quite starkly by Public Health Wales, who recently revealed that more than half of all mouth cancer cases are now being diagnosed at the most advanced stages, and that the number of cases in Wales are rising each year.
There are real concerns that the difficulty in getting NHS dental appointments is directly contributing to this alarming rise.
Dentists and their staff often bear the brunt of the public’s frustration, but in many cases it’s not their fault.
Indeed, local dentists have told me that they’re frustrated themselves because they can’t serve their NHS patients properly.
I recently met with local dentists who told me that there’s a “crisis” in the NHS dental workforce and that they’re finding it “incredibly difficult” to provide NHS services.
One of the reasons dental practices are finding it so hard to provide NHS services is because the government is asking them to prioritise certain patients for treatment, such as brand new patients or urgent cases. This means there is a reduction in access for other types of patients – such as those who have been on the books for some time.
The current NHS contract is resulting in unintended and unfair outcomes, with many patients unable to get an appointment at all.
It’s frustrating for NHS dentists who feel that they can’t provide the service they want, and they’re voting with their feet, by becoming private practices.
People's dental and oral health are at risk and we need reassurance from the Welsh Government that the new contracts they are developing for NHS dentists will address this.