The shortage of NHS dentists has worsened due to the recent announcement that Castle Hill dentists ceased serving their existing NHS patients since September 1. Consequently, all current Castle Hill NHS patients must now seek a new dentist.
According to the NHS’ Find a Dentist website, there are only two dentists in Reading and one in Woodley currently accepting new NHS patients. The site also indicates that after these the nearest dentist accepting NHS patients is located 9.7 miles away in Henley-On-Thames, Oxford, followed by Wokingham and Crownthorne which is 10 miles away. However, upon inquiry, the Henley-On-Thames dentist confirmed that they have limited spaces available for NHS registration.
For some dentists in Reading, their status is listed as: “This dental practice has not provided recent updates regarding their acceptance of new NHS patients. You can contact them directly to inquire.” Despite direct inquiries, the Green Party found that none of these Reading dentists were accepting new NHS patients.
Some dentists mention they may consider accepting NHS patients through referrals for specific services like sedation to facilitate necessary treatments. However, they are not taking new NHS patients for routine checkups and other general treatments.
Children and individuals eligible for free dental care encounter difficulties in accessing it. The Conservative government’s handling of the NHS dentistry problem has been insufficient. In conjunction with local initiatives, Reading Council should urge the government to tackle this pressing matter. We appeal to Reading Council to champion the cause with the Integrated Care Board and the government, urging them to formulate a plan to alleviate the dental crisis in Reading.
UPDATE: Individuals meeting specific criteria, such as being new to the town or not having had a dental checkup for two years, may be eligible for a one-off NHS dental checkup at Bespoke Dental (formerly known as Gentle Dental) in Tilehurst, as they participate in a pilot program. They also offer emergency NHS treatment to unregistered individuals. For more information, please contact them at https://www.bespokedentalreading.co.uk/.
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