Progress now possible to save NHS services

UPFRONTThe British Dental Association has warned unmet need for NHS dentistry in England is now at an all-time high, with official data showing no signs of recovery for the struggling service.Analysis by the professional body of dental data in the recently published GP Survey by Ipsos shows: AE Unmet need for NHS dentistry inEngland now stands at 13m, or well over 1 in 4 of the adult population (28%) AE This includes an estimated 5.6m adults who tried and failed to secure an appointment in the last 2 years.Nearly as many have given up trying with 5.4m not attempting to make appointments as they didn't think they could secure care.The cost of care pushed 1.25m away, and around 780,000 indicated they were on waiting lists AE While there has been some methodological change, with the survey moving online-first approach, this is clear growth from last year, when total figures stood at around 12m AE Access problems predate COVID.Prior to the pandemic unmet need for NHS dentistry hovered consistently at around 4m or 1 in 10 of the adult population.