BISHOPS WALTHAM AND MEON VALLEY CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU
SURVEY ON NHS DENTAL PROVISION – 2006
Background
Bishops Waltham and Meon Valley CAB serves a rural community in the Winchester Southern Parishes from Durley to Denmead and West Meon to Whiteley. It provides advice to anyone but most clients are from the Meon Valley and nearby districts of Eastleigh, Fareham, Southampton and Winchester.
The number of enquiries to this Bureau about NHS dental provision has grown regularly as it has become increasingly difficult to obtain the services of an NHS dentist in the area. This has become a problem throughout the country, particularly during the last 5 years, as many NHS dentists have transferred to private practice. There are now no NHS dentists in the Meon Valley. Private dental practices are available in Bishops Waltham, Denmead and Wickham. There is limited NHS provision for some adults on benefits and children, but only if they were existing patients when the practice transferred.
This Bureau carried out a survey in the area in 2002 when the problem was first raised by clients. The evidence showed that many people had lost NHS dental provision by then and were having difficulty finding a new practice. Despite representations to the local NHS Trust and MP, the problem could not be resolved and, as the national situation deteriorated, it became clear that there was little hope of improving the position of the local community.
2006 Survey
The Government decided to transfer funding for NHS dental care to local primary care trusts from April 2006 and with it the responsibility for deciding the level of care to be provided in their areas and where new practices should be located. Evidence from local clients suggested that there is still an urgent need for NHS dental provision in the Meon Valley. We approached the Mid-Hants Primary Care Trust to register the even more urgent requirement as, by now, there were no NHS practices in the area. Whilst sympathetic, the Trust did not offer any hope that they would be able to provide a new practice for the Meon Valley. We decided therefore to mount a new survey to establish a wider cross section of local opinion.
This survey was designed to establish the type of dental treatment being received; whether this was the preferred option of the patient; the number of people surveyed who had been forced to change dentists because of the decline in numbers of NHS dentists; the effect this had had on them and any children in the family; and finally what support there would be if a local NHS dental practice were set up. The survey was available to clients calling at the Bureau and on our website. The result therefore reflects a true cross section of the community most of whom had no pre-conceived views about the survey. (To see a copy of the survey questionnaire click here).
Survey results
The survey ran from early October until Christmas. A summary of the numbers is below.
Numbers surveyed 230 forms were completed of which 189 were from people living in the Southern Parishes and 41 from neighbouring towns and villages.
Type of dental service - 73 had NHS dentists and 134 private dentists. 10% of people had no regular dentist at all and almost half of those had children also without a regular dentist.
Reasons for choice - 15% of people preferred the option they had made. Of these, 57% were NHS patients. The remainder of NHS patients were with their dentist because it is cheaper. 68% of private patients stayed with their dentist because of availability and 12% because of the location. Only 10% said that it was their preferred option.
Location of surgery and distance from home - Given that there are no NHS surgeries in the Meon Valley, all but a few NHS patients (who presumably receive benefits and remain with their original dentist) living in this area travel to Eastleigh, Fareham, Portsmouth, Southampton or Winchester, an average distance of 10 miles. Those actually living in these districts travel an average distance of 4 miles. 65% of private patients in the Meon Valley still have a local dentist. The average distance travelled by private patients to their dentist is 5 miles.
NHS patients who changed dentist to stay NHS in the last 10 years - 64% changed dentists to stay NHS, of which 86% now incur extra travel or expense.
Those who lost NHS dental provision in the last 10 years - 84% of other people lost NHS dental provision in the last 10 years. 55% tried unsuccessfully to find another NHS dentist. Some of those who did not try commented that they thought there were no NHS dentists available and others did not want to travel long distances.
Dependent children - 35% of people who responded to this question had dependent children. 50% of children went to a NHS dentist, 35% to a private dentist and 15% had no regular dentist.
Reasons for choice - 15% of parents have their preferred option for their children of whom 80% were NHS patients. Nearly all other parents cited cost as the reason for sending their children to a NHS dentist. Of the parents sending children to a private dentist, 71% gave availability as the reason for their choice. Only 8% of parents chose to send their children to a private dentist.
Switch to a local NHS dentist - 87% of people from the Meon Valley said they would switch to a local NHS dental practice. The number in the districts was slightly less, reflecting the greater number of people able to obtain local NHS provision.
Conclusions
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There has been a massive change in dental provision in this area in the last 10 years. 76% of people who responded to this survey had been forced to move dentists to stay with the NHS or were forced to change to private dental care.
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Of those who stayed with the NHS, 86% have significantly further to travel at greater cost. On average, NHS patients travel twice as far as private patients.
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There is overwhelming support (87% of people who took part in the survey from the Meon Valley) for the provision of a NHS dental practice in the area.
Recommendation
The results of this survey support the case made by this Bureau to the Mid-Hants PCT for a NHS dental practice to be established in the Meon Valley. This Bureau recommends that the PCT takes note of the strength of local support for this proposal and takes action to provide this facility as soon as possible.
| Number of surveys | 230 |
| 1 Type of dental service | |
| NHS | 73 |
| Private | 134 |
| Emergency | 6 |
| None | 17 |
| 2 Reasons for choice | |
| Preference | 35 |
| Availability | 108 |
| Cost | 50 |
| Location | 16 |
| Other | 17 |
| 5 If dentist is NHS | |
| Changed to stay with the NHS in the last 10 yrs? | |
| Yes | 41 |
| No | 28 |
| Extra travel/expense? | |
| Yes | 31 |
| No | 5 |
| 6 If no NHS dentist | |
| Lost NHS dentist in the last 10 yrs? | |
| Yes | 127 |
| No | 25 |
| Tried to find another? | |
| Yes | 80 |
| No | 65 |
| 7 Dependent children? | |
| Yes | 77 |
| No | 143 |
| If yes | |
| NHS | 35 |
| Private | 24 |
| Emergency | 2 |
| None | 8 |
| 8 Reasons | |
| Preference | 10 |
| Availability | 22 |
| Cost | 23 |
| Location | 4 |
| Other | 6 |
| 10 Switch to new NHS? | |
| Yes | 156 |
| No | 27 |