NHS dental access in Southend: your rights
Access to NHS dental care remains an important issue for people across England, including Southend residents.
Recent Nuffield Trust research found that around one in ten dental practices have relinquished their NHS contracts and moved to providing private dentistry only, around 600 practices since 2017.
Southend appears to have been less affected than some other areas of England. However, reduced NHS dental provision can still mean fewer appointments, longer waits and difficulty finding a dentist accepting NHS patients.
Why does NHS dental access matters
Private dental treatment can be expensive and not everyone can afford it. People on lower incomes, some pensioners, children and those in full-time education may particularly rely on NHS dental services. NHS treatment is free or available at a reduced cost for people who are eligible.
For other patients, NHS treatment is still an option and generally costs less than equivalent private treatment because the NHS contributes towards the cost through contracts with dental providers.
However, providing NHS dentistry can be financially challenging for practices. For patients with more complex needs, the cost of treatment can sometimes exceed the payment a dentist receives from the NHS, creating a financial deficit for providers.
What is happening in Essex to improve service delivery?
Essex Integrated Care Board has pledged to improve access to NHS dentistry for people of all ages through:
Commissioning additional NHS dental capacity
Supporting urgent dental care services
Working with providers to increase available appointments
Developing targeted access programmes
Your rights when accessing NHS dentistry
You don't have to stay with one dentist. Permanent registration is no longer required in the same way as GP registration. You can seek NHS treatment from any dental practice accepting NHS patients, including outside your local area.
You can request a written treatment plan. This should explain the treatment you need or are being recommended, which treatment is available under NHS charges and which would require private payment. NHS charges are fixed for each course of treatment.
A dentist must obtain your informed consent before treatment begins, giving you the opportunity to understand and agree to the proposed treatment.
You can access emergency dental treatment. If you have an urgent dental problem, you can seek treatment through your dental practice or an urgent dental treatment service. Most NHS dental treatment is guaranteed for 12 months from the date of treatment.
We want to hear about your experience
At Healthwatch Southend, we want to understand what accessing NHS dental care is really like for people living in Southend.
Have you struggled to find an NHS dentist or get an appointment when you needed one? Or have you had a positive experience?
Your experiences can help us understand the challenges people face and keep the conversation going about the need for accessible NHS dental services in Southend.
Useful links
Find an NHS dentist by postcode
Information about free or reduced NHS dental treatment
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