Residents in need of dental treatment are travelling for miles out of their County Durham community to access NHS services, a councillor has warned, writes Local Democracy Reporter, Bill Edgar.
Stephen Bowron, Reform member for Chilton, said improved access to healthcare is a local priority among residents, but the local NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) “will not consider” funding a dentist in the area despite the high demand.
Alternative sites around the county are not feasible for locals to attend, he added.
Cllr Bowron said: “In Chilton, we have a fully kitted-out dentist’s surgery. I have found a dentist who wants to use it, and it could open this week.
“I’m sorry to say that the ICB will not consider funding an NHS dentist for the people of Chilton and the surrounding area. They expect residents to travel to Durham City or the coast in an emergency. For many, this is not possible. Meanwhile, a perfectly good local dentist’s surgery is standing idle and unused.”
People throughout the region have gone years without a dental appointment due to a significant backlog of appointments, huge waiting lists, and not enough practices.
Health bosses say the situation in County Durham is reflective of a national crisis in NHS Dentistry, which has been heavily impacted by several factors, including the recruitment and retention of dentists and Covid.
Dental practices are being encouraged to prioritise patients for treatment based on clinical need and urgency, so appointments for some routine treatments, such as dental check-ups, may still be delayed.
New Urgent Dental Access Centres opened in County Durham last year to improve access to dentistry, following a pilot program in Darlington. The services provide an enhanced and more reliable local solution to the provision of accessible in-hours urgent dental care for patients, the NHS said.
A spokesperson for the NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB said: “We know that it is difficult for people to access NHS dental services at the moment. The situation in our region is mirrored across the country and is caused by a number of issues, including difficulties recruiting and training dentists and many dentists struggling to afford the cost of delivering NHS services.
“Some of the challenges faced by NHS dentistry require fundamental reforms to the dental contract and the Government has recently announced a number of measures aimed at improving NHS dentistry access, with a focus on urgent care and complex needs that will come into effect on 1 April 2026.
“We have recently invested £9.5 million on a new model of care to ensure people can manage urgent dental issues safely. This includes bringing online a network of 23 Urgent Dental Access Centres (UDACs) that will provide over 100,000 urgent dental appointments every year.
“In County Durham, there are UDACs in Durham City, Barnard Castle and Peterlee.”
People can find out more about accessing NHS dentistry, and for urgent problems, can book an appointment online via the ICB website: https://northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk/here-to-help-you/nhs-dentistry/get-urgent-dental-care/
Bill Edgar
Reporter for the Local Democracy Reporter Service.
South West Durham News covering news across County Durham.
Tell them it’s for immigrants they won’t be able to throw the money quick enough
what a waste of a surgery x
Marie Marie it’s not finished with yet
Stephen New Bowron good x
Absolutely shocking
Everyone should stop paying taxes and NI at this point . We get literally F all for our money … Even our children have to put their names in a hat in hopes of getting an appointment, it’s third world and absolutely disgraceful
It’s desperately needed
Sounds about right, I haven’t had a dentist since covid and dont think I have a dr because I can never see one, and you wonder why the hospitals are in a mess because what is happening people are taking them to the hospital to be seen and those who have to be admitted are probably those who have been ill for a while and not been seen, its getting to be frightening when you become ill
Absolutely disgusting there isnt an NHS dentist taking on new patients within 60 miles!!!
Disgraceful 😡
Absolutely disgusting
I am perfectly entitled to free NHS dental care, can’t possibly afford silly private prices…did find MyDentist taking on some cost exempt patients, but…only “when and where available”, been trying the first of every month since last spring, getting FA nowhere yet…need a filling replacement, got a gaping hole in one of my molars, not too problematic YET, however I’m worried about infection in there, and hurting my tongue again, don’t want it to get really bad before I can get anything done about it
I ended up just pulling my own teeth out & I literally live near the Surgery.. When it was open you couldn’t get an appointment anyway..Unless you paid.. Money Money Greed Greed.. Hyder family should be ashamed
It’s rediculous I can’t even get one for my bairns, unless travel miles and it’s not so easy when buses ext ain’t reliable because I don’t drive, they havn’t been seen since it closed and they where there for every single check up
The amount that cost to build was a waste of money. Dentist closed. Can’t get in to see a doctor.
I managed to get to be an nhs patient at a dentist in Lowfell Gateshead quite recently cheaper to travel 30 miles than pay the massive private cost so did my daughter x