NHS Dentist Access Crisis Deepens
Hundreds of dental practices have stopped providing NHS treatment over the last decade, creating 'dental deserts' where access depends on ability to pay.
The NHS dentist access crisis has deepened, with nearly 600 dental practices in England withdrawing from NHS work over the last ten years, according to data analysed by the Nuffield Trust. This decline has created severe access problems, with six in ten adults not seeing an NHS dentist in two years. NHS dental activity is 8% lower than it was pre-Covid. According to the analysis, more than one in ten practices that once offered NHS care no longer do so. The reduction has been especially sharp in parts of the South West and East of England, such as Cornwall, Devon, and Northamptonshire.
Dentists say the current NHS contract is not financially viable, forcing many to hand back their contracts. Mark Dayan of the Nuffield Trust warns this amounts to a quiet transformation, creating what campaigners call 'dental deserts'. Vivak Shah, who runs three practices in Northamptonshire, continues to offer NHS treatment but says it operates at a loss and he no longer takes on new NHS patients. He warns that if more practices stop, patients could be left in pain or forced to seek help at hospital A&E departments.
For many practitioners, the decision to leave is financial. Jim Sykes, a dentist in Hexham, handed back his NHS contract in 2024, stating the work was running at a loss. He says none of his friends from his graduating class still works in the NHS, having gone private, retired, or chosen other pathways.
The decline is not uniform across England. While most regions saw falls, the reductions were smallest in North West London, the Black Country and North East London. Overall dentist practice numbers have actually risen in England over the decade, highlighting a shortage of NHS dentistry specifically.
The government says it is changing the dental contract and training more dentists in areas of greatest need. However, dental leaders are skeptical. Shiv Pabary of the British Dental Association calls the crisis the direct result of choices made by successive governments and warns more dentists will leave unless NHS dentistry is fixed and funded. For patients like Alan, an 83-year-old in Somerset, the reality is stark, having given up trying to find an NHS dentist.
