NHS dentist took on 4,000 new patients and cannot afford to treat them.
Since 2022, Darnall Dental Clinic in Sheffield has enrolled 13,500 people, after taking on an additional 4,000 patients.
However, after losing NHS subsidy and additional funding, they are unable to treat every NHS patient and can no longer provide the same level of service.
Dr Vasileios Orliaklis, from the surgery, said: “Our practice, which has already invested £466,000 into expanding the premises, is now facing an extra loss of £544,000 in funding. It’s truly maddening.”
As a result, staff say they have suffered verbal abuse from patients who can no longer get an appointment.
The Influence of Dental Funding on Darnall Clinic’s Operations
In 2023 and 2024, Darnall Dental Clinic received additional funding from the South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board to accept more NHS patients.
Dr Orliaklis said: “It was claw-back money from practices that couldn’t deliver the core contract.”
To receive NHS funding, dentists are given a set number of Units of Dental Activity (UDA) that they must complete based on that contract. According to the Local Dental Committees Confederation, a filling would cost three UDA, while a check-up would cost one.
If the UDAs are not fulfilled, the relevant funding is returned and can be re-allocated, similar to what had previously occurred with the additional funds for Dr. Orliaklis’s practice.
However, the money available for reallocation above the basic contract differs from year to year.
Frustrated Patients of Darnall Dental Speak Out
Darnall Dental Clinic is located in an area deemed to have “high dental needs.”
According to the dentist, the majority of the 4,000 new patients needed intricate emergency dental work. Adding that these new patients “have not been to a dentist for 15 or 20 years.”
Jason Taylor, 45, one of the newly listed patients of Darnall Dental Clinic, already had his teeth removed in the hospital and was booked to have new dentures fitted at Darnall.
Jason continued on to say, “I was ashamed to leave the house.” Finding a dentist took a long time, and when I finally arrived at Darnall Dental Clinic, there was a queue that stretched around the block.
Darnall Dental Clinic Staff Voice Concerns Over Funding Cuts
Olivia Tanner, a dental nurse, and receptionist who has been with the practice for four years, takes the brunt of the frustration from patients. “It is every day that we get abused. There is swearing, shouting, and I have been spat at. It does feel degrading, especially when this is an industry that you come into to help people.”
Sarah Fletcher, the practice manager, emphasizes the significance of effectively managing patients’ expectations.” We have patients who are unhappy about the wait; they might be waiting for six weeks for the next filling, but we try to explain that for the NHS, that’s good going, some practices you will need to wait months.”
“We’re doing the best we can, but they don’t understand the pressure we’re under – and I get it, they vent it in anger, they want to get their teeth fixed, they don’t want a hole in their mouth.”
Dr Orliaklis admitted there would be “difficult conversations” ahead with newer patients. Adding that “I’m trying to do something better for the people living in the local area. “I don’t know whether we can afford to see those patients or make a decision to cut the list.
“We have to think about the well-being of the staff, too.”
Public Accounts Committee Highlights Issues in NHS Dentistry
According to a recent Public Accounts Committee study on NHS dentistry, present funding and contractual arrangements only allow approximately fifty percent of the English population to see an NHS dentist over two years.
In the two years leading up to March 2024, just 40% of adults saw an NHS dentist, compared to 49% in the two years prior to the pandemic.
Clive Betts, the MP for Sheffield Southeast, stated: “The PAC report shows at a national level how UK dentistry is in serious distress. It is outrageous that this dental practice, when stepping up to offer dental appointments under the NHS, is now having its funding cut.”
According to a representative for NHS South Yorkshire, “We are dedicated to reducing health inequalities and assisting dental practices in providing the best access and services within our funding allocation.”
A representative for the Department of Health and Social Care stated: “After years of neglect, we took over NHS dentistry services that were in poor condition. Our goal is to restore the industry and increase access through our Plan for Change.
Frequently asked questions
What is dental negligence?
Teeth play a significant role in our appearance, and your oral health must be cared for professionally.
We place trust in Dental Health professionals to recognise and correct any dental complaints that we may have. Mistakes and delays caused by dentists can cause significant pain and can even affect our mental well-being.
Some common examples of dental negligence can include:
- Incorrect and delayed diagnosis of tooth health and even oral cancer
Nerve injury
- Cosmetic dentistry
- Periodontal Disease Misdiagnosis
- Mistakes in treatment leading to the loss of a tooth or multiple teeth.
- Surgical Errors in extraction and root canal treatment
Why should I make a dental negligence claim, and for what can I claim?
We trust Dental Health Professionals to provide advice and treatment in order to do the best for our oral health. Sometimes this trust is betrayed, and the symptoms that we may have could become worse, and teeth can be lost as a result of a mistake.
Dental pain can be traumatic and can affect your daily life. Dental Health Professionals have a duty of care to correctly assess your oral health and keep you from suffering further pain and trauma.
Here at Oakwood’s, we have first-hand experience dealing with people whose lives have been changed by dental negligence. Bringing a Dental Negligence claim has allowed our clients to receive the financial support that is needed to aid in recovery.
If you have suffered due to Dental Negligence, then you may be able to claim for the following:
- Pain and suffering
- Any loss of earnings as a result of the dental treatment
- Further treatment that may be required, including cosmetic treatment
- Psychiatric damage
How much compensation might I be eligible to claim? How is it calculated?
Compensation for dental claims varies on a case-by-case basis. Cases will be calculated with consideration of the following:
- An award for pain and suffering – this will compensate you for any additional pain you have suffered as a result of negligent treatment. It will also consider social impact, such as embarrassment (especially if the front teeth are affected) and changes in sleeping and eating habits.
- An award for future treatment, in cases where further treatment is needed, such as the costs of a replacement tooth or remedial work. These will be factored into your award for compensation.
- Past losses – this may include any prescription expenses, travel expenses to additional appointments.
We have a dedicated team of solicitors and paralegals who have many years’ experiences between them in running cases of this nature. They are highly trained to deal with all aspects of clinical and medical negligence.
Oakwood Solicitors Ltd wishes to ensure that clients are not overwhelmed by legal jargon or medical terms that they do not understand and aims to allow the claims procedure to be as transparent as possible.
Further information
Oakwood Solicitors Dental Negligence Claims –
www.oakwoodsolicitors.co.uk/dental-negligence-claims/
‘I’m an NHS dentist who took on 4,000 new patients – now I can’t afford to treat them’
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Jade Glover is a Solicitor in the Medical Negligence team. She has worked for the company for over 9 years and completed her training during that time. She has specialised in Personal Injury clai…
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