ONLY a handful of NHS dentists across the Bradford district are taking on new patients.

Only 12 are open to patients entitled to cheaper, or even free, treatment subsidised by the Government, according to two websites listing dental surgeries.

There are three brackets NHS patients fall into. Some people will pay set fees, or are entitled to free treatment. Other surgeries are accepting only under 18s exempt from charges and some will take just subsidised fee-paying adults.

Healthwatch Bradford says it has had a huge response to a public survey running on its website since February asking people about their experiences of the NHS dentist shortage.

The findings are due to be published next month and will be passed on to NHS England as part of the health watchdog’s campaign for improvements.

Victoria Simmons, communications manager for Healthwatch Bradford, said it was an issue people were keen to talk about.

“One of the most common reasons for people to contact Healthwatch in Bradford is to ask for advice on finding a dentist, because many people are really struggling to find one taking new patients,” she said.

“The Healthwatch team try our best to help people find local dentists but too often we experience the frustration of having to tell someone that the nearest dentist taking new patients is a few miles away or that there are long waiting lists.

“Healthwatch aims to unpick some of the issues around access to dentists, not just to illustrate the problem. We want to work with the organisations like NHS England and the Local Dental Committee, as well as with local dental providers, to try to find better ways of tackling the issue of access to dentistry.”

NHS Choices and Mydentist, which represents the UK’s largest dental provider, list dentists taking on NHS patients.

Kathryn Hilliam, the head of co-commissioning for NHS England (West Yorkshire), said: “The West Yorkshire Local Dental Network is currently overseeing a project to address the issue of access in West Yorkshire.

“This will pay particular attention to areas of Bradford where it is noted that access is poor and further affected by high treatment needs in socially deprived areas.

“This work is being done in collaboration with Healthwatch and other stakeholders including Public Health England. It is expected West Yorkshire will have a commissioning investment plan in place for April 2016 which will look to improve access for patients and address dental health needs.”

Bradford Council has also commissioned a series of oral health improvement programmes focused on young children’s oral health called Building Brighter Smiles (BBS), but it does not have control over the availability of NHS dentists.

Surgeries taking new NHS patients in our area according to NHS Choices and Mydentist which might change are:

  • Mornington Street Dental Centre, Keighley;
  • Mydentist Little Horton Lane, Bradford;
  • Mydentist Saltaire Dental Practice;
  • Mydentist Russell Court, Bingley;
  • Wakefield Road Surgery, Bradford;
  • Bradford Road Dental Surgery, Shipley;
  • Buttershaw Lane Dental Centre, Buttershaw;
  • Allerton Dental Practice, Bradford;
  •  Baildon Dental Centre, Baildon;
  •  Ilkley Dental Centre, Wells Road;
  •  Thornbury Dental Practice, Bradford;
  • Mydentist Keighley Main Street.