People are being told to wait until 2024 for dentist appointments while others are being removed from their practice lists for not making appointments sooner, according to a damning report into the state of dentistry. Patients being asked to wait up to three years for appointments – or six weeks for emergency care. Some who called NHS 111 seeking emergency dental care were told to “use salt water” and carry on calling practices until they could find help. Healthwatch England has called on the government to speed up reforms of NHS dentistry to avoid harm to people’s health. Imelda Redmond, national director of Healthwatch England, told PA: “New arrangements should include making access to NHS dental services equal and affordable for everyone, regardless of where people live, their income and ethnicity.

Source: The Guardian May 23, 2021 23:26 UTC