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Which? urges Government to act on Steele recommendations

22 June 2009

As Professor Jimmy Steele publishes his recommendations for the future of NHS dentistry in England, Helen McCallum, Which? Director of Policy and Communications, says:

“While nine out of 10 people could find an NHS dentist, it still leaves 3 million* people who can’t. We all pay for the NHS and it’s ludicrous that it doesn’t know where these dentist deserts are. The Government needs to take immediate action to fix this issue so that it can get on with the wider problem – clearing up the mass confusion about what treatments people can get on the NHS and how much they should pay.

“Professor Steele’s findings echo many of the problems we have identified. He has set out some constructive principles for the future of NHS dentistry - it’s now up to the Government to take up the challenge and improve dental services for consumers.”

Which? has developed an dentist finder – www.which.co.uk/dentist - to help consumer find NHS dentist in their area taking on new patients and we are calling on consumers who have had problems getting an appointment to try again. Anyone who still can’t find an NHS dentist after using the dentist finder can tell Which? so that it can pinpoint areas where access is still a problem.

Notes to Editor

 

* Which? conducted a quantitative survey of 2,631 adults aged 16+ in England using a general public online access panel between 19th January and 4th February 2009. In our survey, 68 per cent of people had tried to make an appointment with an NHS dentist in the past 2 years. Of these, 88 per cent were successful.

In our survey, 8% of the sample had tried to get an NHS dental appointment in the past two years but were unsuccessful. The 3 million figure is a simple estimate that multiplies the number of adults aged 16+ in England (from ONS 2007 mid-population estimates) by the percentage from the survey: 41 million x 8%. A 95% confidence interval on this calculation gives a value between 2.8 million and 3.6 million, with a mid point of 3.2 million (rounded to 3 million).

Which? is campaigning for good quality NHS dental treatment for all and better information on what you should be paying. We are calling on the Government to deliver the following changes:

  • Finding an NHS dentist, in a convenient location, becomes easy for everybody
  • It is made clear what dental services people have a right to receive on the NHS and what the prices are
  • The quality of every dentist’s work is checked regularly
  • National targets for dental check up attendance are set and met
  • Advice is provided to help people take better care of their teeth

Which? is the leading independent consumer champion in the UK. We provide impartial, expert information on products and services in our magazines, books and online to help consumers make more informed choices, and we campaign on issues that matter to all consumers, from food to finances, health to estate agents. For more information on how we can help you, visit http://www.which.co.uk/campaigns