London Assembly Health Committee publishes report on dentistry
London Assembly's Health Committee published a report, 'Decay and Delay' on the state of dentistry in the capital. The report drew on feedback shared by a number of local Healthwatch including Healthwatch Islington, Lambeth and Richmond.
Key findings
- 47.1 per cent of children in London did not access an NHS dentist between March 2023 and March 2024.
- In the two years to March 2024, just 39 per cent of adults accessed an NHS dentist in London, while just 53 per cent of children accessed an NHS dentist in the previous year.
Dental care in Haringey
Compared to other London boroughs Haringey's population had better access to a dentist. The report showed that in the two years up to March 2024, 26.2 per cent of adults in Tower Hamlets accessed an NHS dental appointment compared to 53.2 per cent in Lewisham. 30 37.8 per cent of children in Hackney had accessed an NHS dental appointment in the previous 12 months, compared to 67.6 per cent in Haringey.
The reality is that for the vast majority of our residents, there is no access to NHS dentistry.
Recommendations of the London Assembly Health Committee
Recomendations included:
- The GLA sould lobby the Government to start the process of dental contract reform as a matter of urgency, setting out how the current contract is not serving Londoners.
- Work with NHS England (London) and London’s Integrated Care Boards on a public messaging campaign to highlight the importance of visiting the dentist and to publicise the fact that dentistry is free for certain groups, particularly children.
