Healthwatch Dorset
Project case study
Improving access to NHS Dentistry in Dorset
Dorset residents have been concerned for some time about the lack of NHS dental care in the county.
Healthwatch Dorset investigated why local residents were struggling to access the care they needed. They contacted all 95 dental practices listed on the NHS England website to carry out a survey about dental provision in the county.
In their March 2023 report, Healthwatch Dorset highlighted that no NHS dentists in Dorset were taking new adult patients and many dentists were only accepting patients who could pay privately. The report also highlights how the lack of access to routine and urgent dental care impacts people’s health and wellbeing.
Healthwatch Dorset shared their findings with NHS Dorset to inform their plans for improving access to NHS dentistry and oral health in the county.
Read the reports
Why are people finding it difficult to access NHS dental care in Dorset?
PDF 1MB, February 2023
Accessing NHS dental care in Dorset
PDF 2MB, February 2022
Related link
Recovery of NHS dental care too slow to help thousands left in pain (Healthwatch England | December 2021)
“NHS Dorset will be working closely with the existing dental regional team and dental clinical networks who have developed the South West Dental Reform Programme… We are grateful to Healthwatch Dorset for shining a light on these important issues and in a way that brings home the real impact on people’s lives. It is a vital report that demands our attention and we will use it alongside our new responsibilities to start the journey of improvements that we urgently need to see.”
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