Plans to fix NHS dentistry a 'complete failure' as patients forced to pull out teeth with pliers, report by MPs says

A Government program to hole NHS dentistry really made it worse and resulted successful less caller patients being seen, a damning study by MPs reveals.

Attempts to amended entree person been a ‘complete failure’ arsenic services are underpinned by a declaration that is ‘not acceptable for purpose’, the Pubic Accounts Committee says.

There is lone capable backing for astir fractional the colonisation to spot an NHS dentist erstwhile each 24 months - ‘at best’.

And dentists are not paid capable for delivering NHS care, meaning thousands present exclusively dainty those who tin spend to spell private, the study adds.

This has resulted successful an ‘avalanche of harrowing stories’, with poorer patients forced to propulsion retired their ain teeth with pliers.

Committee seat Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said it is ‘utterly disgraceful’ that Britons are having to to edifice to DIY dentistry successful the 21st century.

The blueprint to bolster NHS dentistry was unveiled successful February 2024, with a pledge that it would money much than 1.5 cardinal further NHS treatments oregon 2.5 cardinal appointments.

This included a caller diligent premium (NPP), with practices receiving credits for each eligible caller diligent they saw, a ‘golden hello’ recruitment strategy which introduced £20,000 inducement payments for dentists, and mobile dental vans targeting underserved communities.

But the PAC recovered the NPP – which has outgo astatine slightest £88 cardinal since it was introduced past March – has resulted successful 3 per cent less caller patients seeing an NHS dentist.

The ‘golden hello’ strategy had appointed less than 20 per cent of the expected 240 dentists by February 2025 and the mobile dental vans person been dropped.

Sir Geoffrey said: ‘This state is present years heavy successful an avalanche of harrowing stories of the interaction of dentistry’s strategy failure.

'It is utterly disgraceful that, successful the 21st century, immoderate Britons person been forced to region their ain teeth.

‘Last year’s Dental Recovery Plan was expected to code these problems, thing our study has recovered it has signally failed to do.

'Almost unbelievably, the Government’s initiatives look to person really resulted successful worsening the picture, with less caller patients seen since the plan’s introduction.’

Just 40 per cent of adults saw an NHS dentist successful the 2 years to March 2024 compared with 49 per cent successful the 2 years earlier the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the report, determination were 34,520 dentists registered to supply services successful England successful April 2023 but lone 24,193 delivered immoderate NHS attraction successful 2023/24.

The PAC warned that without due remuneration, much dentists would determination exclusively to the backstage sector.

Sir Geoffrey added: ‘NHS dentistry is broken. The Government could hardly neglect to hold connected this point, and so I americium gladsome that it is not successful denial that the clip for tinkering astatine the edges is over.

'It is clip for large decisions.’

He said the abolition of NHS England, which was announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer past month, gives the Government an accidental to ‘completely reconfigure’ however the wellness work is run.

'A caller declaration should beryllium negotiated with dentists truthful that each successful this state volition person due entree to an NHS dentist for the attraction they need,’ helium added.

The PAC study comes aft the British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey this week revealed restitution with NHS dentistry has ‘continued to collapse’.

Levels are astatine a grounds debased of 20 per cent, compared with 60 per cent successful the pre-pandemic twelvemonth of 2019, portion dissatisfaction levels of 55 per cent are astatine a grounds precocious and the worst of immoderate NHS service.

Shiv Pabary, seat of the British Dental Association's wide dental signifier committee, said: ‘MPs person arrived astatine an inescapable conclusion, that tweaks astatine the margins person not and volition not prevention NHS dentistry.’

Thea Stein, main enforcement of the Nuffield Trust, a wellness deliberation tank, said: ‘If governments are not consenting to enactment successful the billions required to bring backmost dentistry for everyone, we besides request a superior speech astir who should beryllium archetypal successful line.

‘That mightiness mean a work which focuses astir connected bringing backmost services for those who cannot spend backstage dentistry, and susceptible groups similar children.’

Louise Ansari, main enforcement astatine Healthwatch England, said: ‘After astir 20 years of an NHS dental strategy that has resulted successful tragic cases of DIY dentistry, radical surviving successful pain, and large increases successful the fig of children successful deprived areas sent to infirmary for removal of decayed teeth, immoderate caller strategy indispensable beryllium designed successful concern with radical and organisations that correspond them.’

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the Labour Government ‘inherited a breached NHS dental sector’ and was fixing it done its Plan for Change.

An NHS England spokesperson said: ‘More needs to beryllium done to assistance radical entree a dentist - that is wherefore the NHS is moving with the Government to betterment the dental declaration and supply 700,000 further urgent dental appointments to amended entree for those astir successful request each year.’