Dentistry still feeling pandemic impact in Wakefield

The British Dental Association said the latest figures – which show treatments remain below pre-pandemic levels across England despite a surge in activity – show NHS dentistry is "on its last legs" and in need of urgent change.

In the year to March, a total of 183,537 courses of treatment were delivered to adults and children in the former Wakefield CCG area, figures from NHS Digital show.

This was more than double the 78,486 treatments delivered in 2020-21, but still 40% below the pre-pandemic figure of 306,159.

Different figures show in the two years to June, 124,617 adults saw their local NHS dentist in Wakefield – 45% of the over-18 population.

That represented another fall from 53% in the 24 months to June 2021, which saw dental activity first hampered by the pandemic, and a drop from 64% in the two years to June 2019.

Some 50% of children (37,288) were seen by NHS dentists between July 2021 and June this year, compared to 36% over the same period the previous year, and 68% in 2018-19.

Eddie Crouch, chairman of the BDA, said: "What we're seeing isn't a recovery, but a service on its last legs.

"NHS dentistry is lightyears away from where it needs to be. Unless ministers step up and deliver much needed reform and decent funding, this will remain the new normal."

According to the NHS Digital figures, there were 186 NHS dentists working across the former NHS Wakefield CCG area in the year to March – meaning each one had the equivalent of 1,890 patients on their roster.

An NHS spokesman said: “The latest data show dental services are recovering post-pandemic, with over 26 million patient treatments delivered last year – up 120% from the year before, along with 1.7 million more children getting seen by an NHS dentist.

“To further support the ongoing restoration of NHS dentistry, we recently announced the first significant changes to dentistry since 2006, helping practices to improve access for the patients that need dental care the most.”

In July, clinical commissioning groups were abolished and replaced with integrated care boards across England.