Research into ‘dental deserts’ by Good Morning Britain has discovered that Norfolk has been the worst affected area for access issues. The data suggests that 38 per cent of patients in the county have been unable to access a dental appointment.
Lorna Shaddick, a correspondent on the show explained, “The mad thing is that it is not because of a lack of dentists themselves. We’re told that there is a record number registered to practice at the moment. The British Dental Association says the problem is there is no incentive to work for the NHS, not just because of funding, but also because of the targets dentists are forced to chase.”
Data collated for the programme shows that the figures for Cambridge and Cornwall are not far behind Norfolk, with 34 per cent of patients unable to access a dentist.
Jim Peirson, a Norwich NHS dental surgeon, said, “Our main issue is recruitment. We put an advert in for a dentist and got two responses over two months. They were both overseas and needed visas.”