NHS data revealed 28% were unable to get an appointment

Data from NHS satisfaction surveys has revealed that during the last two years, 28% of patients were unable to get an appointment in the area covered by the NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board.

This 28% of the 5,512 patients who responded to the NHS survey forms equates to 1,543 people who were unable to access an NHS dental appointment.

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Mark Jones, co-founder of Toothless in Suffolk (Image: Toothless in Suffolk) Of these, some 14% found the dentist was not taking on new patients, while 10% found that no appointments were available.

Figures from British Dental Association (BDA), which represents dentists and dental students, have also shown that across the east of England, 1.5 million people have been unable to access NHS dentistry, while the total across England and Wales was 13 million people in the last two years.

Campaigners from Toothless in England have been seeking better dental care across the country, including in Suffolk.

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The group has six main aspirations, which include the provision of an NHS dentist for everyone, dental care to be free at the point of use and reforms to the NHS dental contract to encourage more dentists to provide NHS treatments.

New Suffolk Coastal MP Jenny Riddell-Carpenter has made tackling the NHS dentistry crisis in Suffolk a priority (Image: Labour Party) Mark Jones, who co-founded Toothless in Suffolk, said: "When you read that 13 million adults are unable to access NHS dentistry it further demonstrates that successive governments and NHS dentistry leaders have comprehensively failed the public. 

"We intend to meet with Wes Streeting, the new secretary of state for health and social care.

READ MORE: Toothless in Suffolk's Mark Jones on NHS dental reform

"When we met with him earlier this year he was shadow health secretary. He gave us his commitment to a follow up meeting with us and his team.

"Hopefully he will honour that commitment now that he’s in government. 

"By continuing the regular meetings and dialogue that had been established between the Department of Health and Social Care, government health ministers and Toothless in England under the previous administration, the new health secretary can demonstrate that he also values the positive contributions made by a national grassroots campaign that’s championing the oral health needs of patients."

Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, the new Labour MP for the Suffolk Coastal constituency, has made tackling the dentistry crisis in Suffolk a priority.

READ MORE: Suffolk news

She said: "These figures reveal the true NHS dentistry crisis, created by the Conservative government. 

"Far too many people in Suffolk Coastal are living without proper dental care and too often living in pain - when they can't afford the option of private dental care. 

"For all these reasons, I’m delighted that the new Labour government has placed dentistry so high up the priority list - and the new health team have already met with NHS bosses to make sure we get going on unlocking dental appointments and getting them accessible as soon as possible.

"I will be working to make sure that residents across Suffolk Coastal benefit from this investment.”