Respecting NHS Dentistry: Why It Matters Now More Than Ever

Admin
Oct 14
4 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

Many people choose NHS dentistry because it’s low-cost or free - but some forget that “affordable” doesn’t mean “infinite”. When appointments are missed, staff are undervalued, or practice policies ignored, it adds directly to the burnout and backlog that so many are frustrated by. NHS dental teams work under immense pressure, balancing limited funding with overwhelming demand.

Patients who fail to attend or treat dental staff poorly are, sadly, part of the reason NHS dentistry is struggling to survive.

You can’t demand a public service and then disrespect the people keeping it going.

Our Commitment to the Community

At William Place Dental Aesthetics, we’ve proudly served the Bow and East London community for over 18 years. Throughout that time, we’ve continued to provide NHS dentistry - despite its many limitations and challenges - because we believe everyone deserves access to essential dental care.

However, we can no longer ignore the growing hostility and abuse our hardworking, compassionate team faces on a daily basis. Our reception and clinical staff come to work to help people, not to be shouted at, threatened, or treated unfairly.

This distressing behaviour affects not only individuals but also the future of NHS dentistry itself. Sadly, it’s one of the main reasons why so many practices across the country are handing back their NHS contracts - stepping away from a system that has become increasingly unsustainable.

NHS Dentistry Is Not a Limitless Resource

Let’s be clear: NHS dentistry is not unlimited.

When patients fail to attend appointments or cancel at the last minute, those slots can’t always be filled. It’s not just wasted time - it’s a lost opportunity for someone else in genuine need and a financial hit to practices already stretched thin.

If you value NHS dental care, the first step is simple: show up and treat your dental team with respect.

And if you’re unhappy with access or with the system itself - please don’t take it out on your dental practice.

Take it to your MP. That’s where meaningful change can actually happen.

Understanding Access to NHS Dental Care

NHS dental care in England works very differently from NHS GP services.

There is no permanent registration with an NHS dentist. Care is provided on a course-by-course basis, meaning you can visit any NHS dental practice with available capacity - regardless of where you live.

This means there is no such thing as being an “NHS patient,” “on an NHS list,” or “registered on the NHS.”

Unfortunately, the system is under immense national pressure. Current NHS dental funding is estimated to meet the needs of only around 40–50% of England’s population. Demand far exceeds supply - affecting both patients seeking care and dental teams who want to provide it.

At William Place Dental Aesthetics, our NHS funding currently supports only 3 out of our 9 surgeries, a situation entirely beyond our control. We’ve actively advocated for increased funding with NHS England and our local MP - but so far, those efforts have not been successful.

Our goal remains simple: to use our limited NHS allocation fairly and responsibly, helping as many local residents as possible while maintaining the quality and safety of care.

How to Maintain Access to NHS Dental Care as an Existing Patient

We carefully manage our limited NHS funding throughout the year to ensure we can continue supporting our loyal and regular patients with the best possible care.

While NHS appointments can never be guaranteed, you can help maintain consistent access by following a few simple steps:

🗓️ Always Pre-Book Your Next Appointment
Before you leave the practice, schedule your next check-up (and pop it straight into your phone calendar!). This helps us plan your care effectively and ensures you stay on track with your regular visits.
📩 Respond to Reminders Promptly
When you receive a reminder that your next check-up is due, please book straight away. Each reminder includes a personalised online booking link, making it quick and convenient to secure your spot.
⏰ Respect Our 48-Hour Cancellation Policy
Life happens - but when cancellations are made with less than 48 hours’ notice, we can’t always fill the space. Please give us as much notice as possible so another patient in need can be seen.

By staying organised, responding promptly, and respecting appointment policies, you help us keep NHS dental care accessible for everyone who depends on it.

Why We Require 48 Hours’ Notice

We ask all patients to give at least 48 hours’ notice when cancelling or rescheduling an appointment.

This isn’t about bureaucracy - it’s about fairness and sustainability.

When a patient fails to attend or cancels at short notice:

Another patient in need misses out on care.
Clinical time, funding, and resources are wasted.
The backlog of unmet need grows even longer.

We completely understand that life happens - illness, emergencies, and unexpected events occur. But repeated missed appointments make it impossible to manage limited NHS resources fairly. After a second missed or short-notice cancellation, we sadly can’t continue to offer further NHS appointments.

A Shared Responsibility

These challenges aren’t unique to us - they’re happening in practices across the country. We know how frustrating it can feel to struggle to access NHS dental care. But too often, that frustration is directed at front desk or clinical staff who are simply doing their best within the limits of the system.

At William Place Dental Aesthetics, we go to great lengths to be transparent about how NHS dentistry works and why our policies exist - something not every practice takes the time to do.

Our appointment policies are: