Plans to roll out ‘dental vans’ to boost health are in jeopardy

MINISTERS have been accused of abandoning plans to send dentists in vans around the country in an effort to tackle the shortage of dental workers.

The vehicles, which are kitted out to provide mobile care to rural communities, were announced this year as part of a government effort to allow more people to get attention.

Research has suggested that around nine in ten NHS dental practices are not accepting new adult patients, leaving around one in five people without care.

Last year, a Commons health committee published a report that concluded NHS dentistry was ‘totally unacceptable in the 21st century’ and had led to some patients removing their own teeth with pliers.

In February, the Government unveiled its emergency plan to improve dental care, which also included £20,000 cash incentives to dentists who move to poorly serviced areas.

It offered one-off bonuses of up to £50 for treating patients who had been waiting for NHS tooth care for at least two years.

However, The Mail on Sunday has seen papers which suggest the plan to use so-called dental vans is now in question.

A procurement document published by NHS England last month said there was a ‘limited availability’ of dental vans, as well as dentists to run them.

It added that the NHS was now exploring ‘non-van solutions’ to work alongside the vehicles.

The British Dental Association (BDA) said the revelations were a ‘new low’ for the Government, who they claim are failing to tackle the UK’s dental crisis.

‘Every MP who boasted to constituents about these vans is going to have to wait on what “non-van solutions” this Government can come up with,’ says BDA chairman Eddie Crouch. ‘This is pure farce. The Prime Minister pledged to restore NHS dentistry.

‘The reality is a plan with no new money, no ambition, and now there aren’t even any vans.’

Visiting an NHS dentist is not free – but it is highly subsidised by the Government, making it significantly cheaper than private dental care.

In England, NHS patients pay £25.80 for a check-up, scale and polish (if needed), and any Xrays. If they went private, they would foot £40 to £75 for the check-up, another £90 to £130 for a scale and polish and £10 to £20 for each X-ray – potentially running up a bill of £225.

For fillings or root canal work the NHS charge is about £70 in England. Private root canal treatments average £320. However, an increasing number of dentists no longer take on NHS patients and instead are offering only private treatment.

This is largely due to longrunning problems with the NHS contract for dentists which the BDA argues does not offer professionals enough money.

The number of NHS dentists in England is now at its lowest in a decade, at about 23,000.

This is down nearly 700 on last year and more than 1,100 down from pre-pandemic numbers.

Last year, more than 12 million people were unable to access NHS dental care, according to official figures.

The Government’s strategy – known as the dental recovery plan – also included adding the naturally occurring mineral fluoride to tap water in parts of the country, to prevent tooth decay and encouraging nurseries to teach children how to brush their teeth.

Data suggests that, since the plan was announced, there has been little improvement in

‘Offer more appealing contracts to dentists’

access to care. The Mail on Sunday revealed, in September 2023, that a record 85,000 patients flooded the NHS 111 helpline seeking urgent dental care. Since then, this figure has continued to rise, with more than 88,000 calling NHS 111 with dental problems in April.

Vijay Sudra, a dentist based in Birmingham, has not seen or heard of dental vans going into practice anywhere. He said: ‘The Government should offer appealing contracts to dentists in under-served parts of the country rather than using these glorified ice-cream vans.’

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: ‘We’re fully committed to rolling out dental vans as part of our plans to improve access for patients in areas where getting an appointment is more difficult, including rural and coastal communities.

‘Through our dental recovery plan, we’re jumpstarting the sector and creating 2.5 million more appointments through initiatives, like cash incentives for dentists taking on new patients and £20,000 golden hellos for those going to work in underserved areas.’