Watchdog criticises dentists over new patient claims and waiting lists

Watchdog criticises dentists over new patient claims and waiting lists


Report from Which? says over a third of dental surgeries claiming to take new cases turn away patients

A third of dentists who claim they are accepting new patients do not, while many that do leave their patients with lengthy waits, consumer watchdog Which? has found. Its team of undercover researchers found that of the 500 dental surgeries advertised as accepting new patients on NHS Choices, 37% said they did not have availability, while of those that could offer an appointment, 36% said they would have to wait two weeks. One surgery said it would be eight to nine months before an appointment would be available.

Which? said it was asking the Competition and Markets Authority to step in over the problem, which it said was part of a wider issue of poor information and communication in dentistry. Its investigation found that some researchers were asked to pay deposits for NHS appointments, and in one case were told this was non-refundable if the appointment was missed - even though neither of these practices is permitted under government legislation. Guardian

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