Thousands of residents in mid and south Essex are already benefitting from faster access to urgent dental care, thanks to an NHS initiative providing out-of-hours appointments.
Since launching in September 2023, the NHS Mid and South Essex dental access initiative has delivered over 23,500 urgent dental appointments, offering care during evenings, weekends, and bank holidays. This ensures that even those without a regular dentist can receive timely treatment when they need it.
There are two ways of accessing the urgent out-of-hours dental appointments in mid and south Essex. Residents can either book via their regular dental practice or contact NHS 111 who will assess their needs and, if appropriate, book an urgent care appointment.
Due to the success of the programme, NHS Mid and South Essex is extending the initiative until March 2027. Over the next two years, appointment availability will continue to increase, with more extended hours to offer more access to NHS dental care.
Tom Abell, Chief Executive Officer NHS Mid and South Essex said: “Fast access to dental care means less pain for patients and less pressure on other services. This initiative is making a real difference to get people the care they need by making access easier and it’s part of our commitment to create an NHS that works for everyone.”
NHS Mid and South Essex has commissioned ten dental practices to deliver the appointments through this initiative.
Feyi Oyeniyi and Nabil Ali, Associate Dentists at Dental Beauty, one of the participating dental practices, shared their experience of providing appointments through the programme.
Feyi said: “This is a great initiative to help patients who don’t have a regular dentist to get access to treatment. Seeing a dentist quickly prevents conditions from worsening, and NHS appointments remove financial barriers, ensuring people can get the treatment they need.”
Nabil, adds: “Being part of this pilot has allowed us to provide more NHS appointments and help meet the growing demand for dental care. The extended appointment hours also make it easier for people who work or have caring responsibilities to access treatment.”
Mid and South Essex ICB is also leading the way in innovation, piloting a technology solution that enables NHS 111 to book slots directly into dental practice appointment systems. Previously, NHS 111 would give patients contact details for dentists and patients would arrange their own appointments. Now, this new functionality removes barriers by allowing patients to secure treatment without calling around to find available appointments.
NHS Mid and South Essex has been responsible for commissioning dental services in the area since April 2023. A range of dental initiatives have since been introduced to help more residents of all ages to access NHS dental services, including primary school pupils and care home residents.
Find out more on the NHS Mid and South Essex website: https://www.midandsouthessex.ics.nhs.uk/work/primary-care/dental-access-initiatives/