NHS find a dentist website 'work of fiction'

Dentists say the NHS website showing whether practices are taking on new NHS patients is a "work of fiction".

Of 34 north-east of England practices on the website said to be "accepting new NHS patients when availability allows", only three actually had space in their books.

The British Dental Association (BDA) said adding "when availability allows" was an attempt to conceal the scale of the problem and had confused patients.

NHS England (NHSE) did not explain why the wording was changed or why so few dentists actually had availability, but said it provided practices with tools and support to routinely update whether they were accepting new patients.

BDA chair Eddie Crouch said: "The data on [the website] is a work of fiction.

"The last government dropped straightforward yes/no questions on whether practices can take new patients, to try and cover the scale of the access crisis.

"A new government won't fix this just by playing around with words on a website."

“The NHS let me down too many times, I went private for my dentists and never looked back. if you can afford it, then it is so much better”

“Annoyed that the only solutions this government seems to be able to come up with are the ones that cost the least money, such as changing the wording on a website.”

“So the NHS site basically lies to people? No wonder I can‘t find an NHS dentist Absolute disgrace.”

“Typical labour. Dressing up problems rather than trying to solve them.”

“The wording change feels sneaky. Patients deserve clear info, not vague phrases that hide the truth. Why can’t they just say yes or no? I feel like this is just another disappointment from the NHS and I’ve lost count”

“This is a trust issue. If the NHS can’t provide accurate data, how can patients plan their care? A simple yes/no system would at least be honest, even if the answer is mostly no.”

Earlier this month, the BBC contacted the 34 dentists in the North East said to be accepting new patients.

Only three actually were, all of which were in Newcastle.

None of the 24 dentists in the Northumberland, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland, Durham or Stockton areas were taking on new patients.

One said it had a waiting list of four years.

There were no dentists accepting new adult NHS patients in the Darlington and Middlesbrough areas.

Trade body Association of Dental Groups (ADG), which represents both NHS and private dental services, said there were not enough NHS dentists around to "meet demands".

Executive chair Neil Carmichael said he was not surprised that patients trying to access an NHS dentist by contacting a practice were being met with a "sorry, no availability message".

"NHSE may be either slow or reluctant to update their website with these depressing facts, and it is our ADG members who own the dental practices that are having to deliver the bad news to patients," he said.

[Transcribed From Audio]

“So basically err if you live outside Newcastle they just say good luck. This is a proper disgrace.”

“This is honestly so shocking. An entire regions with zero NHS dentists taking new patients in 2025. I know people like my mam are being forced into private care or left without any treatment at all. The government needs to step up and stop pretending this isn’t a crisis and actually do something. Anyway, that’s what I think.”

“Imagine calling for an appointment and they say sure we can fit you in in 2029. At this point NHS should just start giving out commemorative calendars with your booking date on.”

[Transcribed From Audio]

“I think the ADG is right. There aren’t enough NHS dentists. Until they sort out the funding and contracts and that all gets better this problem won’t go away. I just feel like this is another thing they’re letting us down on. I’m lucky my teeth aren’t so bad.”

“I mean this isn’t about slow website updates it’s about a system that can’t meet demand. If practices are turning people away across entire counties that dentists model needs a complete ground-up overhaul. Yeah.”

[Transcribed From Audio]

“I err don't really think this is an issue for me. I look after me teeth so it's not something I have to care about to be honest. I know it's like err a problem for other people but yeah I don't think I've been to a dentist in about 5 years now anyway.”

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Earlier this year, Verne Road Dental Practice in North Shields dropped existing NHS patients over financial and staffing strains, and invited them to sign up for a private plan.

Leah Duncan was one of the patients removed from the NHS list.

"It feels like betrayal because we pay our taxes into the NHS and then you suddenly can't get treatment on it," Miss Duncan said.

"I'm hoping because I've got alright teeth that I have time to look around for another NHS one."

The practice said: "It was either that we close our doors and deliver no service to the community or we change the way we work."

North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) took over dental services from NHS England in 2023, but the find a dentist directory is a national database which practices are contractually required to keep updated.

It said: "Due to the demand for NHS services, the database can go out of date quickly and we know that can be frustrating for patients."

The ICB says it is doing "all it can" to improve access including incentivising dentists and opening a network of 23 urgent dental access centres.

An NHS spokesperson added it was "determined to improve access to NHS dentistry", including by providing 700,000 urgent appointments nationally.

Source: BBC News