Finding a place with an NHS dentist is becoming increasingly difficult. If you have one, it’s important to look after your NHS dental registration. Please follow the advice below.
That said, with a national shortage of dentists offering NHS care however careful you are about attending, you may find that your practice can no longer offer NHS appointments due to a shortage of clinical staff.
If you are having a problem with access to NHS dentistry, we recommend you get in touch with your MP. It is only significant changes at the government level that can improve access.
Become a SpaDental Member – cost-effective private dental care
Access to dental care – information
At this time, patients may find it difficult to book an NHS funded dental appointment. At SpaDental, we continue to try to recruit new dentists, and also support dentists qualified overseas while they wait to sit the ORE exams they need for GDC recognition. The service we offer, however, is affected by a shortage of dentists willing to provide NHS treatment, particularly in the South West. Due to current staffing, adult services may be limited to private appointments only.
Treasure it
Your enrolment on an NHS patient list with a practice you trust is a valuable thing.
In short, there are two crucial points to remember:
- Don’t miss an appointment or be late for an appointment.
- Don’t allow more than two* years to lapse between appointments.
Our best advice is to stick to the recall time your dentist sets. Try not to leave the surgery without booking your next appointment and then set multiple reminders so you don’t miss it.
While most patients respect the time they are allocated, patients arriving late, or not at all, prevent other patients from accessing care.
*Note: These days your dental practice may be one of the many that has to remove NHS patients from their list even though they have attended more recently. Due to staffing changes, many practices are in a position where they do not have clinical availability to see adult NHS patients.
If you need to contact a SpaDental practice to cancel or change an appointment, we’ve made it easier for you:
Keep your appointment
Dental practices follow strict schedules and procedures. Whether you are visiting a dentist, hygienist or therapist, their time is allocated to maximise availability for patient treatment time.
If you have an appointment, please make sure you don’t forget it.
We recommend you take every step necessary to make sure you arrive in good time. Practices need to be strict about both missed appointments and late arrivals. If you have to cancel, make sure you do so at least 24 hours in advance.
Please note:
- After one missed appointment, your non-attendance or late attendance will be recorded. When you wish to make another appointment you will be given a slot at a time to suit the clinician, which may not suit your routine.
- If you fail to attend a second appointment (whether consecutive or not consecutive), SpaDental will ask you to find a different dentist.
- If you attend the second appointment, we will do our best to accommodate your preferred day or time for your next appointment.
Please be warned
Due to the high number of people wishing to receive NHS funded dental treatment and very long waiting lists, your dental practice has no choice but to remove patients who have not attended for two years or more from the NHS list.
Patients must attend regularly to keep up their NHS dental registration. Many of our patients forget to make regular visits to see their dentist. And then, before they realise, it’s been over two years.
SpaDental practices try to remind patients when they are due for their dental examinations via text message, email or letters. However, we often find that many of our communications get returned as patients do not update their contact details with us.
What to do to keep your place on the NHS patient list:
- Always attend any appointment booked, or cancel the appointment more than 24 hours in advance.
- Make sure you book your next dental examination before you leave the practice. Whether it’s three, six, nine or even twelve months in advance, our reception teams will help you make your next appointment, and send you reminders nearer the time as well.
- Check and update your contact details. Be sure they are correct, especially your email address and mobile phone. If we can keep in touch with you, then we can help you keep on track so you don’t miss your appointment.
- If you are caring for an older person, then help them to keep up their registration too by tracking their appointments with them.
Waiting lists
If you are removed from the NHS patient list, you are no longer able to receive NHS treatment at the practice. To receive NHS funded treatment again, you will need to contact the NHS and join the waiting list. As NHS waiting lists are long, it may be some time before you can join another practice. We advice you you protect your status.
Remember:
Our recommendation is that you protect your registered status by attending your appointments, and booking your next appointment before you leave the practice.
Your check list for staying on your dentists NHS list:
- Attend all your appointments or cancel well in advance.
- Always book your next appointment before you leave the surgery.
- Keep your contact details up to date.
- Make sure you visit your dentist regularly (and don’t leave it for longer than your clinician’s recommendation).
Please let us know
If you move out of the area, or if you decide to change your dental service provider, please let us know so we can update your records. Moreover, it frees up a space on our list so another person can attend.
Remember to update your personal information if you phone number, email or address changes so we can remind you when you are overdue for an appointment. This is easy to do using our online contact us form.
For more information, or if you are concerned you may lose your NHS dental registration, please contact your practice.
SpaDental Chard (Somerset), SpaDental Plymouth (Devon), SpaDental Saltash (Cornwall) and SpaDental Whitchurch (Shropshire) are the only SpaDental practices treating NHS patients. At this time, when there are openings, the practices prioritise children and teenagers according to clinical availability.
All SpaDental practices offer private services at reasonable rates. Please find your nearest practice.