Mum's four-year struggle to find NHS dentist for sons

A mother says despite four years of trying, she still cannot get her two sons an NHS dentist where they live.

Zoe Backhouse, from Hereford, and her sons James, nine, and Harry, 12, are among a growing number of families struggling to access NHS dental care.

No dental practice in the county currently takes on new NHS patients and Herefordshire has the lowest rates of access in the West Midlands region.

"I've contacted every NHS dentist in Herefordshire," said Ms Backhouse.

"They have waiting lists... or their waiting list is closed because it's so long and they've got waiting lists for waiting lists.

"I've tried to get us put on every single one but haven't had any joy."

Under NHS rules, children are entitled to free dental care until they are 18.

But the family have recently chosen to go private in order to get James and Harry a check-up. They're still considering whether they can afford to do so long term.

"They're entitled to free treatment; but it isn't there. I'm trying to fight for my children to get something they're entitled to and I can't get it, which makes me feel really bad as a mother," she said.

In 2019, an NHS survey revealed 31.9% of five-year-olds in Herefordshire had visible signs of dental decay, well above the national average.

Recent years have seen several dental practices relinquish NHS contracts, leaving patients to choose whether to go private.

"From what I'm hearing from colleagues... it sounds like it's in turmoil" said Jai Arhi, a Hereford dentist who treats both NHS and private patients.

"Practice after practice is either reducing their NHS contract sizes or handing them back in their entirety. I think practices are finding it very hard to make ends meet on the NHS."

This week Bupa, which provides private and NHS dental care, announced it was looking to cut 85 dental practices amid a national shortage of dentists, including the Hereford branch.

"The ethos generally amongst dentists, but especially NHS dentists, is that they're burnt out." said Mr Arhi.

"The other side of it is that it is extremely difficult to recruit.

"It's always been difficult in Hereford… but with the extra pressures that have come with the pandemic, it's just becoming more and more difficult," he said.

Since moving to the village of Pencombe in north Herefordshire two years ago, former NHS worker Julie Hazelhurst has been trying to find a place with an NHS dentist, without success.

Last week she had a private appointment at a practice in Leominster.

"I was told they do cover NHS patients, but that there are 900 people on the waiting list. I probably will have no teeth by the time I get to the front of that queue," Ms Hazelhurst said.

"It's almost like it's a two-tier system... It will be a case of those that can afford it have it, and those who can't cannot".

The county's patients' organisation, Healthwatch Herefordshire, says a lack of access to NHS dentists is the single biggest reason for residents getting in touch.

"Since the pandemic it probably makes up between half and three quarters of the calls we get," said Christine Price, Healthwatch Herefordshire's chief executive.

"We've seen a decline in dentistry. We've got some of the worst oral health in the country.

"NHS dentists I don't think want to give up on NHS work lightly, but the national contract really does need reform.

"When NHS dentists deliver care they do end up out-of-pocket on some of the treatments they deliver," she added.

That's something dentist Mr Arhi agrees with.

"Within the NHS it's banded courses of treatment. So regardless of whether a patient needs one filling or 10, the way the practice is paid for; that is the same.

"There has been a mild reform in the last few months. But still, compared to the private side it's massively reduced."

Last year NHS England, the organisation responsible for commissioning dental care, admitted the county had "longstanding gaps" in provision.

It also revealed attempts to offer dentists training incentives to relocate had been unsuccessful, as well as attempts to offer existing practices extra funding to open at weekends.

This year it has begun a procurement process to find a provider to run a new "super practice" across two sites in Hereford.

"Their hope is that this will be a big enough practice to service a large amount of the demand in the city; but also be a large enough practice to offer a variety of services that dentists would like," Ms Price said.

"We're really hoping that this works out because it's desperately needed as additional capacity."

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