NHS Dentistry in Rutland in 2023: new report
Since our last report on Accessing NHS Dental Care in Rutland in 2022, some national reforms have been made, however the situation regarding access here in Rutland remains the same. There are no NHS dentists with capacity to accept new adult patients for routine treatment and limited capacity for children.
In Autumn 2023 we launched a new quick poll to get a snapshot of how people were finding dentistry services 18 months on from our original report. We heard from 123 people and the feedback again highlighted that the people of Rutland need more affordable, accessible dentistry services.
The poll showed that 59% of respondents were unable to get an NHS dental appointment in the last 12 months.
I have tried several times, through 111, to get an emergency appointment for two very urgent and very painful dental issues for well over a year now. I can’t afford to go private and just cannot get an appointment with the only NHS dentist here, even for an emergency.
