As huge queues returned outside a Bristol dental practice this weekend, [1] the British Dental Association has warned these scenes will only be consigned to history when Government makes a decisive break from underfunding and failed contracts.
Hundreds of patients gathered from early yesterday morning to secure a place at the Lodge Causeway Dental Centre. This marks a repeat of scenes seen just a few miles away outside St Pauls Dental in February, which followed unprecedented scenes in 2024 when police attempted to disperse people desperately seeking NHS care.
The professional body stress this chaos reflects the work that needs to be done to save the service. While the current Government has pledged to reform the discredited contract fuelling this crisis before the next General Election, it has shown no signs it is ready to reverse savage cuts that have left typical practices delivering NHS care at a loss.
BDA analysis of the GP Survey by Ipsos indicates unmet need for dental services now stands at nearly 14m, or well over 1 in 4 adults.
BDA Chair Eddie Crouch said: “The return of these queues is hardly unexpected. We’ve heard the right promises, but we are yet to see the change we need to give NHS dentistry a future.
“These scenes won’t be consigned to history until we see a decisive break from underfunding and failed contracts.”
Reference
[1] Live updates from Bristol dental practice as people queue for NHS spots – Bristol Live
