York: Fears NHS dental reforms 'won't make a difference'

Some York residents fear new dental reforms "won't make a difference" for patients struggling to access vital NHS treatment.

Earlier, the government announced cash incentives for dentists in areas with a lack of availability for NHS dental care.

The BBC spoke to people in Acomb about dental access and whether they thought the changes would help.

Sat on a bench in Acomb's Front Street, 85-year-old York resident Alma Crake said she had not been registered to a dental practice for two years.

"I have no dental care, they're all private now," she said.

"I can't afford to go private, I'm only on a pension."

Alma had not had any issues with her teeth in the last two years, she said, but described her experience as "upsetting".

"If you suffer, you can't do anything about it."

Asked if she had any hope that the new announcement would bring about change, Alma said: "It needs to go further, it won't make a difference at all."

The government said it had listened to dentists by increasing NHS payments, but some dental leaders said the plans do not go far enough.

Moira, 68, from Scarborough, was visiting Acomb with her family and said she was fortunate to be registered with an NHS dentist.

"We registered three or four years ago, before that we were registered with a private practice," she said.

"It wasn't very easy, we had to ring around several to get us in and I don't think there's too many spaces in Scarborough now from what I hear."

Moira said having an NHS dentist made a big difference to her financially.

"It's extremely expensive to pay private if you need several fillings," she said.

"I was due to have fillings when I was still at the private practice and it was going to be nearly £500 - it's a lot of money, so I was lucky to get registered with an NHS dentist."

She hoped that reforms would help others access NHS treatment, but said "it won't be put right overnight".

The government is aiming for 1.5 million extra treatments to be given over the next 12 months through plans to increase payments for NHS treatments and the introduction of a £20,000 payment to dentists opening in so-called "dental deserts".

However, this will only be available for up to 240 dentists, which is about 1% of the workforce.

Dawn Jones and her 18-year-old daughter Grace are registered to a private practice in York after their dentist stopped offering NHS treatments about two years ago.

She said she paid £15 a month for dental care, with Grace also now charged due to her age.

"Obviously, you have to rejig your finances, so it has made an impact," Dawn said.

Grace said she was not offered a student discount on her dental care at her current practice, which used to be free when she was a child.

In 2022, a BBC report found that 96% of dental practices in North Yorkshire were not accepting new adult NHS patients.

In York, none of 39 practices contacted were taking on new adult NHS patients.

Retired veteran David Pugh has lived in Acomb for 42 years and said he was in the process of coming to terms with his wife moving to a care home.

They were left without dental care when their former practice closed, he said, with David now searching for a new clinic.

"I think it is unlikely that I will find an NHS dentist that will cope with me and my wife," he said.

"She will have difficulty going to a dentist so I think I will have to find a private one."

He continued: "The reforms won't necessarily help me but I hope they will help many more people in the future - it's so important and we can't afford to forget about it."

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