Macclesfield: The state of dentistry is under threat across Cheshire.

Data from NHS England and NHS Wales shows more than 2,500 dentists – up to 8% of the workforce – stopped treating NHS patients last year.

The number of dentists offering NHS services has declined across the North West. Dropping from 4621 in 2020 to 4252 for 2021, a regional fall of eight per cent.

This is having detrimental effects on the patients.

An anonymous disabled patient with broken teeth was unable to get an NHS appointment despite calling more than 40 dentists, while a Cheshire child's mum was told he would have to have a tooth pulled out because there was nobody to perform a root canal.

These were just two of the experiences published in a new report looking at the state of dental practice in Cheshire.

The report by Healthwatch Cheshire – an independent body set up to champion patients' views – said they had received an increasing number of enquiries in the last few months from people concerned about not being able to access NHS services.

It said others have also raised issues about out of date information on the NHS website, as well as problems accessing the emergency dental helpline.

The report said people in Cheshire are having to access dentists outside the county, or were told they will have to wait for an appointment for months. It said children are still being seen locally but that their parents are having to travel elsewhere to find a practice.

The report added that some people who had been attending NHS practices had been notified their dentist was now only doing private work.

The report said: "Some people register with dentists in other counties, some are offered appointments in five or so months' time, some are told there is no waiting list and to keep calling back.

"Recently, we are told by people that they are still struggling to access NHS dentists when they contact practices outside of Cheshire.

"Others tell us that they do not think it is fair they should be made to travel and do not see why they should.

"An issue that has now been picked up on a few occasions is that families are being offered NHS appointments for children locally, but their parents are unable to access treatment at the same practice and have to seek treatment outside of Cheshire."

Concern has also been raised about the usefulness of NHS England's 'Find a Dentist' tool, which was created to help patients find an NHS dentist in their area.

BBC analysis shows around 75% of practices in England had not updated the site to show whether they were accepting NHS patients or not within the last three months.

Interim director of Healthwatch Chris McCann said getting up to date information as to where people can access service is a "real issue".

"Information on practices on the NHS website can be out-dated," he added. "We've seen some people having to contact up to 20 practices before finding someone to take them."

Last year saw the opening of Synergy Dental Clinic, a new private firm in Macclesfield.

Meanwhile, NHS waiting times, as they have in every health sector due to the pandemic, have increased.

Macclesfield: Do you go private for your dentistry, or have you forced to from the poor provision by the NHS?

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