Worsening access to NHS dentistry could see more people going private and an increase in demand for corporate cash plans, it has been claimed.
The comments by cash plan provider HSA followed the release of figures suggesting that over 7m adults in England and Wales have not been to an NHS dentist since April 2006.
The survey by the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) found that nearly one in three people said failure to find a dentist to treat them was the reason they had not been to one in nearly two years. CAB said this is the equivalent of about 7.4m people, of which 4.7m have sought private treatment and 2.7m have gone without treatment altogether.
David Harker, CAB chief executive, said: “These figures show the scale of the lack of access to NHS dentistry, reflecting the evidence which bureaux across England and Wales have been reporting since the early 90s.”
Norman Lamb, Liberal Democrat shadow health secretary, said the elderly and people on low incomes are particularly affected.
“Patients are suffering under a two-tier system as only those with access to money and transport get to see a dentist,” he stated. “This makes vital prevention almost impossible and means that those who need treatment most are missing out.”
Glenn Rhodes, head of B2B marketing at HSA, said the issue affected the wider working population, too. He suggested that worsening access to dentistry would increase demand for cash plans and dental plans as people are forced to go private.
“In the last couple of years we have seen more employee demand for dental benefits and I expect that we will continue to see this happening,” he said. “In March 2009 primary care trusts will no longer have a ring-fenced dental budget. Instead, they will have a budget for healthcare and I have a feeling dentistry won’t be seen as a high priority. I think we will see an exodus of NHS dentists next year, which will make the situation even more challenging.”
Health minister Ann Keen said improving access to NHS dentistry is a “national priority” and announced a funding boost of 11% for 2008/09.
“We are working hard to improve access to NHS dentists and the government remains fully committed to expanding services,” she said.
Dental treatment in England is the most expensive in Europe, according to recent research by the Institute of Medical Technology Assessment at Erasmus University Rotterdam. The survey of nine European countries found the total cost of a standard filling ranged from t156 (£117) in England to t8 in Hungary.