Covid pandemic's huge impact on dental care in Blackburn with Darwen

The British Dental Association (BDA) said the pandemic has exacerbated longstanding problems in NHS dentistry, with millions of appointments lost due to ongoing infection control measures.

NHS Digital data reveals 34,200 dental treatments were given to NHS patients in Blackburn with Darwen between June 2020 and March this year – a 72 per cent drop from 124,000 in the same period the previous year.

Among these treatments, 12,900 were delivered to children, down 74 per cent from 50,200 in 2019-20.

Dental practices were told to halt all routine dental care from March 25 until June 8 last year, when they reopened with strict infection control rules due to Covid-19, including leaving more time after certain procedures and implementing social distancing requirements.

In January, the Government told NHS dentists they should deliver 45 per cent of their pre-pandemic activity, a figure that they said should rise to 60 per cent by April.

But the BDA said capacity across dental services remains low, with around half the NHS practices in England not meeting targets.

Chairman of the BDA's general dental practice committee, Shawn Charlwood, said: "Millions are still missing out on dental care, and patients will be paying the price for years to come, adding that the target-based approach is "driving low morale" among staff.

"Dentists in England have had capacity slashed by pandemic restrictions and need help to get patients back through their doors.

"Sadly, while every other UK nation has committed funds, Westminster chose to impose targets that thousands of practices are now struggling to hit.

"But even before Covid there simply wasn't enough NHS dentistry to go round."

Across England, there were 23,700 NHS dentists in 2020-21, 951 fewer than the year before – the first drop in four years.

Within the NHS Blackburn with Darwen CCG, the health body covering Blackburn with Darwen, the number of dentists offering NHS treatment dropped by eight, to 101 over the same period.

Sara Hurley, the NHS's chief dental officer, said urgent care provision had risen to pre-pandemic levels since December.

She added: “It’s inevitable that the upheaval caused by Covid has disrupted some people’s dental care, but dentists have been prioritising treatment for patients in urgent need, in part through the rapid establishment of 600 urgent dental centres – with millions still getting care through the pandemic."

A spokesperson for NHS England and NHS Improvement (North West) said: “Like all NHS services, dentistry has been extremely challenged throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Practices are continuing to follow infection, prevention and control guidance set out nationally to resume face-to-face care as rapidly as practicable, while ensuring the safety of patients and staff.

“Anyone who is in dental pain or in need of support, help or advice, can telephone their own dental practice in the usual way.

"If they don’t have a usual dentist and have an urgent need they can the dental helpline on 0300 1234 010.”