NHS England commissions primary care services, for example GPs, dentists and opticians. Although, for GPs (primary medical services) this is devolved to most CCGs through primary care co-commissioning.
NHS England also directly commissions ‘specialised’ services (such as treatments for rare conditions and secure mental health care), military and veteran health services and health services for people in prisons (including youth offender institutions). Some public health services are also directly commissioned by NHS England.
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126 responses from the local community
Desperate to find NHS dentist
1
Submitted by Anonymous20th August 2021
I am writing to you in a desperate attempt to find some NHS dental availability in Norfolk. Having spent days phoning around dentists to hear the same story of 2 year long waiting lists I approached a private dentist as I have been experiencing tooth infections only to pay £135 for just a consultant appointment let alone the recommended treatment which is well beyond my financial capability.
Please can you advise how i go about finding a NHS Dentist that are taking on new clients. Myself and my daughter had to move away from our home town due to a violent relationship. During this process we are now without a Dentist. I have been trying to get into a dentist urgently as my front teeth are capped and falling out. I am seriously suffering mental health issues and cannot cope not getting my teeth sorted as they look awful. I cannot get in with anyone. Please can someone help me I dont care how far i have to drive i am just desperate to get a NHS Dentist
My wife and I have recently retired to the Dereham area from Dorset, where we were well served by a local NHS Dentist – and where there was a choice of NHS Dentists. We’ve been trying for several months to locate an NHS Dentist, and have so far been unable to locate any NHS Dentists, not even within an hours drive. I thought that the NHS had a duty to provide emergency and regular care? In addition, the majority of dental practices are not supplying up-to-date information to the NHS ‘find a dentist’ webpage.
Been looking for a dentist for our children for 3 years. When we call dentists, we are told about 'long waiting lists' and constantly told we can't register. We know the lists refresh but nothing has changed in three years. The problem is there's only one dental practice in the area - it's a small town and it's so overpopulated now.
Looked for practices within a 25 mile radius, have emailed or called over 30/40 practices and no one can help. We also needed emergency treatment for the children recently and finally managed to get seen after some time. However once we got there the dentist just wanted to extract the tooth rather than do any work on it - for a 12 year old! The attitude was if you paid to go privately they could try to do more to save the tooth but it's just the prices. You also find that some practices won't offer private treatment for under 16 year olds. It's just unfair - why do we offer a free dental care service for children that they are unable to use? We're just concerned about the dental hygiene of our children.
I have been trying to find a dentist that will accept NHS patients, for myself and for my 93-year-old mother, in the Norwich or wider Norfolk area.
Every one I have phoned – even the ones that say online that they are taking new NHS patients, such as BUPA Gorleston – has said that they are not taking on NHS patients and have no plans to do so. That includes the ones that the NHS website lists as taking on new patients.
Given this situation – have you any suggestions please as to how to proceed?
At this rate, we will both lack checkups and treatment until the only alternative becomes A & E. I can’t understand how the UK has let this situation go from bad to worse.
I have been trying to get registered with an NHS dentist in Cromer since March 2020. It is just not possible, there is no waiting list so you just have to keep phoning. Reading the article in the ESP I think it would be a good idea setting up a dental school in possibly the UEA. At least then dentists would be getting training in the county, and hopefully after qualifying some would stay in Norfolk.
Following the recent debate in the House, I am writing to add my voice to those who are complaining about the lack of access to a NHS dentist. I have recently moved back to the area and cannot find anyone to see me, despite having had a broken tooth since January and being over 65. No one will add me to a waiting list as they are prioritising their own backlog of patients, yet I too was subject to the 2020 restrictions from my former dentist in Yorkshire who was not offering appointments, so like most people I have not been seen since December 2019. Moreover, my unmet needs are not registered anywhere, so I do not exist as a patient and no one is counting me when considering service improvements.
As well as an improved service, a central or regional list is needed, so that names can be held until allocated to a dentist, currently it is left to the individual to keep searching and facing constant rejection in favour of existing patients. I do not have a lesser need or worth as a patient than those who already happen to be registered locally, but without such a register I remain invisible.
I hope you and your colleagues are able to take steps to address this chronic shortage in the dental care part of the NHS ,which has been going on for many years and is now exacerbated by the new procedures dentists must follow in order to deal with Covid risks.
I am finding it impossible to find an NHS dentist. I have gone through all the normal channels but just get the answer 'sorry no'... I am willing to travel...
I have been trying to find a dentist taking new NHS patients for my son. I have contacted everyone on the Norfolk list, unless it says that they are not taking new NHS patients or will only take by referral from a dentist, either by phone or email but to no avail. My son had emergency treatment last Sunday. He is on antibiotics and has been quoted £2000 for root canal and crown treatment, that he simply cannot afford.
My wife and I moved to Norfolk 7 years ago we have been searching for an NHS Dentist to no avail. Last February one dentist had availability in Norwich this was when covid was on the increase dentists were taking precaution but as a country were not locked down. I contacted them to be informed that we had to go to the surgery to register but at that time we wouldn't be allowed to do so and there was no other provision.
I contacted the surgery a couple of times to be told they were not taking new patients and so it is now.
I have written to my MP who passed on my complaint to the Minister who replied to him with political waffle. I am aware that we can have a dentist at any location we remain with our dentist where we used to live roughly a two hour drive from home a round trip of approximately 170 milles!!
Apart from not being able to find a dentist I complained that the website page "find an NHS Dentist" is useless, few that do bother to update the page are not taking NHS patients the remainder have not bothered in my reckoning years. What is the point of them even being listed?
Are you aware of any dental surgery taking Adult NHS patients? Within my area Wroxham I have searched from Attleboro to Sheringham.