'Radical reform' needed to fix Scarborough's 'dysfunctional' NHS dentist access as officials support national inquiry

The Government’s Health and Social Care Committee launched an examination of the struggle faced by many in accessing an NHS dentist after a survey revealed 90 per cent of UK dental practices were not accepting new adult NHS patients.

Cllr Andrew Lee, chairman of North Yorkshire County Council’s scrutiny of health committee, said: “For some years, the issues with being able to access an NHS dentist has been a high priority on the agenda for the scrutiny of health committee. Feedback consistently indicates it being extremely problematic to find, access and retain an NHS dentist.”

The committee has written to MP Steve Brine, who chairs the national committee, in response to a call for evidence in support of a public inquiry into access to dentistry.

Scarborough residents have routinely struggled to access NHS dental care and a new practice that was promised to open in summer 2022 is still not operational, with historic provision issues continuing to plague the town.

The borough's ongoing NHS dentists saga made national news back in 2004 when hundreds of people queued around the block to sign up to a newly opened practice in New Queen Street.

In March 2021, Scarborough patients were left scrambling for a place on overloaded waiting lists after a practice in Eastfield was forced to close due to a lack of dentists.

An independent health watchdog said Scarborough’s NHS dentist services “remain broken”, which is having a “detrimental” impact on patients’ mental health – as North Yorkshire faces an “imminent dental disaster”.

The county council committee concluded that the only solution is “radical and quick reform” of dental commissioning as it recognises inequalities present a major problem in accessing dental services.

In Scarborough, residents have a greater challenge of accessing dentists than those in Harrogate, in part due to the difference in demographics, it said.

Cllr Lee added: “Radical reform is absolutely needed. The solution lies in the management of dental services. Recruitment and retention remain difficult, and dentists themselves are frustrated with the service they can provide.

“The problem does not lie with recruiting dentists, the problem lies with a broken and dysfunctional dental contract with severe underfunding. Dentists themselves cannot rectify this and it is creating by default a two-tier system whereby those that can afford to go private do so and others struggle to access any kind of care.”