Healthwatch York says its volunteers and staff contacted all 39 practices in York in May and June and found that none was currently accepting new NHS adult patients.

Manager Siân Balsom said NHS dentistry in the city had 'reached a new low' and was in need of urgent and radical reform.

"If we fail to act soon, we’ll be putting further pressure on an already severely stressed health system," she said.

A spokesman for the British Dental Association (BDA) said that based on Freedom of Information data up to April 2021, more than 130,000 NHS appointments had been lost in York alone, including more than 35,000 for child patients.

"Owing to ongoing restrictions, practices in York are still running at a fraction of their former capacity, while dealing with an unprecedented backlog," he said.

He added that England remained the only UK nation where government had not committed to provide capital funding for ventilation systems to enable practices to increase patient numbers while keeping to infection control restrictions.

Shawn Charlwood, Chair of the BDA's General Dental Practice Committee, said that NHS dentistry had been in crisis before Covid struck, as an 'underfunded and overstretched service limped on, leaving millions with few options.'

He said that since lockdown, that crisis had reached new levels, with more than 130,000 appointments lost for York residents.

"We need support from government, and nothing less than root and branch reform of the way this service operates," he said.

“Unless we see real change, these headlines will become the norm, and NHS dentistry will exist in name only."

York Central Labour MP Rachael Maskell said it was 'time Government got a grip of the dental crisis' and understood that not everyone could afford or wanted to go private.

She said that time after time, after York residents had contacted her, she had set out a plan to ensure oral health was fully re-integrated with the NHS, so everyone could access a dentist.

"I have called for a National Dental Service, free at the point of use," she said."Good oral healthcare can save millions of pounds and millions of teeth.”

York Outer Tory MP Julian Sturdy said he had already been looking into this matter following inquiries from constituents and, on hearing Healthwatch’s findings, he had immediately tabled further parliamentary questions to the Department of Health, asking about the extent to which the dentistry backlog caused by pandemic disruption might affect the ability to take on new patients.

"I have also asked Ministers what share of resources from the government’s £33.9 billion annual NHS budget increase will be allocated to increase NHS dental capacity in York," he said.

"I fear sadly this evidence shows the impact of the covid-induced cancellation of routine appointments, and the impact of understandable safety measures like cleaning surgeries after each patient and changing staff protective clothing, which reduce the amount of time available for appointments."

NHS England said that as a result of safety measures to provide treatment in a Covid-safe way, regular and routine dentistry continued at a smaller scale than prior to the pandemic.
“Progression to resume the full range of routine dental care is taking time and practices continue to prioritise seeing patients who have an urgent dental treatment need," it added.

Meanwhile, Healthwatch York has launched a survey for people in York to help it further understand the impact of the crisis on people locally.

Research officer Roger Newton said the survey would capture the voices of would-be NHS dental patients across the city, to show the impact of this gaping hole in local health and care provision. It can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HW9QZTT, with paper copies are also available from York CVS reception at Priory Street Centre, or by phoning 01904 621133 to request a paper copy by post.