NHS England has issued new guidance to ensure that data is collected at national level on waiting times for assessment and treatment in community dental services (CDS) following pressure from the profession.
The guidance will ensure that waiting list data collection within the CDS will be improved, with the new arrangements starting in August 2025 for England.
According to the release, pre-existing concerns with the CDS data gap provide the background to the changes.
‘There have been longstanding concerns about the lack of data at national level to understand waiting times for assessment and treatment, for vulnerable adults and children in CDS settings,’ it reads.
‘I know from the frontline that waiting times in the CDS are unacceptable, and this new data will turn that anecdote into fact’
Giten Dabhi, chair of the England Community Dental Service Committee
The British Dental Association (BDA) says historic data suggested that children and vulnerable adult patients could face year-long waits for treatment, in particular for extractions under general anaesthetic.
The professional body says the data will help to provide clarity regarding the access crisis facing the service. It also hopes it will strengthen the case to decision makers regarding the need for significant investment in the CDS.
Welcomed first step
Giten Dabhi, chair of the England Community Dental Service Committee, said: ‘I know from the frontline that waiting times in the CDS are unacceptable, and this new data will turn that anecdote into fact.
‘This is one of the key areas that we outlined in our “call to action” to make sure community dentistry is finally given the priority it deserves. We asked for greater waiting list transparency on access to CDS services and that the data is published in the same format as other NHS services.
‘This guidance is an important step forward and the data that will become available later this year will shine a light on year-long delays and enable us to press for substantive plans to address these backlogs. We welcome this first step on that journey.’
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