NHS Dentists

Shona_3

Your local primary care trust has to keep a list and advise you of your nearest NHS dentist. The no. should be in tel directory with local government etc. Normally there is a designated dept to field these enquiries. There are also often dental hospitals and dental AE depts in big cities that will see emergencies.

Fuffa

Noozan wrote:

Is there a similar serach for Scotland? I live in Fife but still have to travel 600 miles down to Cornwall to see my dentist!

I'm not so sure.My parents live in Scotland and they too don;t have a dentist infact they said its cheaper to come to England and pay for private!

Guys if you can't find one call up the number they may be able to help you more than the website thats what I did and I found two.HTH

Smashing

Have been regularly checking this website for over a year. Still nowt in my area.

Rang the primary care trust numerous times - they're 'working on it.'
Still.

Rikki

Wow There are two NHS dentists in my area accepting new nhs patients. One with a 3 week appointment wait and the other a 6 week appointment wait.
And I don't need to find a dentist.

Smashing

Rikki wrote:

Wow There are two NHS dentists in my area accepting new nhs patients. One with a 3 week appointment wait and the other a 6 week appointment wait.
And I don't need to find a dentist.

Where are you and when do I move in?

Rachie_B

carriel wrote:

lol, typed in my postcode & NO dentists in my area are accepting NHS patients at this time. Its rediculous round here, I looked into it before & the nearest one taking patients is about an hours drive away.

If have discovered though, that by registering me & hubby at a private dentist, they will see our children as NHS patients.

same here for us

payless

Unfortunately the search is a basic lift ( postcode not distance .. I live near a border, so gives me denists miles away with same starting postcode, rather than local centres ) from the original lists

CARE ... I found a number who are listed as NHS but on phoning they said really seeing new private patients

Toothsmith

carriel wrote:

If have discovered though, that by registering me & hubby at a private dentist, they will see our children as NHS patients.

This is actually against the terms of the new dental NHS contract.

By only accepting as NHS patients the children of his private adults, he is 'discriminating on the ability of patients to pay'.

This is specifically forbidden in the new contract. He may accept 'children only' if that is the sort of contract he has been awarded, but he may not only make places available to children of private adults.

Have a word with the dental department of the dentist's local Primary Care Trust (PCT) if you wish to complain about this.

As for people travelling from one end of the country to another to get NHS treatment :- Have you ever worked out what it's costing you in petrol, wear & tear on your car and how much value do you place on your own time?

Private dentistry is very like the resturant business in it's prices. There are private practices at all price ranges from just a bit dearer than the NHS upwards. By and large you get what you pay for, but there are some 'bargins' out there.

In effect what you are doing at the moment is travelling the length of the country to visit a MacDonalds. The choice isn't do that or go to the Gordon Ramsey establishment in the city centre. I'm sure there's a decent local bistro you could use instead.

seven-day-weekend

This is what it says about our dentist in the UK:

Accepting New Charge Exempt Adults for NHS treatment
Accepting New Children aged 0-18 years for NHS treatment
Provides Urgent Dental Access Slots

So that presumably means he is taking on adults on means-tested benefits for NHS treatment and children for NHS treatment.

We still visit him when we are in the UK (privately) as we have not been able to pluck up the courage to go to our dentist here in Spain (who, although I'm sure is excellent, does not speak English), however I'm sure 'AAAGGHH' is the same in any language!

angeluk69_2

well i phoned up my local PCT and they helped me no end when i said that according to NHS Direct there were no local dentists. And they pointed me towards 6 that weren't making it known that they are NHS and taking on us with Tax Crdeit Exemptions certificate. I am booked in for Thuirsday.

Carriel where are you in Northants?

(sorry my spelling is rubbish at the mo, I am ill)