To think maybe they need to make NHS dentist places means tested?

[dameofdilemma]

Reading about the shortage of NHS places and having seen it in real life….is the Govt going to do anything at all about it?

I’m fortunate enough to be able to afford treatment as a private patient but what about those who can’t? Dp is registered as an NHS patient and is even thinking of giving up his place and registering privately (if he knew if would go to someone who needed it).

I’ve had two dentist appointments recently, both times while waiting, a string of people were coming in to ask about NHS places. The local FB pages are full of desperate posts as no one can find an NHS place. They’re facing long, long waits for treatment at hospitals.
Having had agonising tooth pain recently, its debilitating, it effected my ability to sleep, eat and work properly. This isn’t a ‘nice to have’ treatment, its essential.

So maybe the NHS places should be reserved for those on the lowest (or no) incomes? It can’t make any practical sense to offer places to higher earners, if places are so scarce, if all that happens is people are then having to rely on (already overloaded) hospitals or being unable to work etc.

I know we don’t want as two tier system or a shift to private healthcare etc but reading some of the stories of people unable to eat and passing out from dehydration, the status quo clearly isn’t working either.

Actually the number of dental schools has increased. Increasing the number of graduates is not going to help if they don’t want to work in the NHS

The real problem is we’ve not been training enough doctors and dentists for decades

I agree here, however it seems our NHS dentists are run by those who’ve trained abroad and are recruited by our government. Brexit will have had a huge impact on those willing to relocate.

There is another issue here. Private dentistry is a world away from what the nhs ( government) is willing to pay for. A filling isn’t just a filling, there are many different types, the nhs only provides the most basic. There are many different types of ceramics for crowns, better looking, better lifespans etc….Privately the dentist can choose the optimal procedure/material for the job. A good private dentist will absolutely offer a completely different service and treatment to that available on the nhs. The two really shouldn’t be compared. unfortunately past years of free nhs dentistry seem to have devalued the service

Absolutely correct.
And it's the same across other medical displines too, nurses, physiotherapy, mental health.

I expect, if this is happened, they would set the income threshold for having to pay disproportionately low relative to the expense of private dentistry.

The real problem is we’ve not been training enough doctors and dentists for decades

We train them but then they're treated like shit and burn out/quit/ move to countries where they won't be treated like shit.

We all pay for it so should be able to use it,
the issue is lack of funding in uni places and poor pay (compared to private) for NHS dentists as well as the hops they have to jump through.

*hoops