Difficulties with dental treatment in NHS are unprecedented

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Research has found that 9 in 10 NHS dental practices across the UK are not accepting new adult patients for treatment under the health service. 8 in 10 dental practices are not taking on children.

The British Dental Association has said that NHS dentistry was at a ‘tipping point’ after a decade of under-investment.

Following the Covid-19 pandemic millions of patients have missed out on or are struggling to access dental treatment. Despite NHS England proposing £50 million in funding to implement a scheme to make extra appointments available to clear the backlog following the pandemic, it appears that dentistry in England is still under extreme pressures.

difficulties with dental treatment

This has resulted in thousands of people being forced to deal with significant dental pain or turn to different methods of treatment, such as home remedies and ‘DIY Dentistry’.

Dentists have warned that home methods of treatment are dangerous and can lead to tooth decay and gum damage, but people believe they are left with no choice other than to use these methods.

It is thought that millions of people will continue to suffer as a result of the lack of treatment, leaving them with a significant detriment to their dental health and wellbeing.

Issues caused by the lack of available treatment:

Increased pain
Increased infections
Poor oral hygiene
Tooth decay/erosion
Gum disease
Unresolved dental issues

If you have suffered as a result of the lack of dental treatment, then you may have a potential dental negligence claim.

Do I have a claim?

To bring a claim in dental negligence, you must prove the following two things:

That a medical professional breached their duty of care to you. This could be through the delay in treatment or a failure to refer you to another medical professional or department.
That this breach caused you significant harm, above and beyond what you would have suffered in any event. In cases of delayed treatment, this could be a year of pain and suffering with no treatment or support offered by a medical professional. In more serious cases, this could lead to a failure of diagnosis or the requirement for further surgeries.

How to make a claim?

You may be entitled to compensation if you feel that there has been a delay in your treatment or a delay in your referral.

The team at Oakwood Solicitors Ltd will be able to give you free advice on the prospects of your case and advise whether you would be eligible to make a claim.

How long will my case take to run?

Given the complexities involved in pursuing Clinical Negligence claims, they can often take 18-24 months to conclude and longer if Court proceedings have to be issued. Our investigations start by obtaining all relevant records and protocols before approaching independent medical experts for their opinion.

We will provide you with regular updates on the progress of your case to ensure that you are kept up to speed.

How much is my claim worth?

It is often difficult to value clinical negligence claims at their outset given the complexities involved, however we will pursue two forms of compensation for you:

Firstly, we will pursue compensation known as general damages. This is an award of money for the pain and suffering you have endured as a result of the negligence.

Secondly, we will pursue compensation known as special damages. This is an award of money for all of your out-of-pocket expenses such as travel expenses, medication costs, loss of earnings or treatment costs both past and future. This list is not exhaustive and is very case-specific.

Why choose Oakwood Solicitors Ltd to make your dental negligence case?

We have a dedicated team of solicitors and paralegals who have many years of experience running cases of this nature. They are highly trained to deal with all aspects of clinical negligence.

We want to ensure that clients are not overwhelmed by legal jargon (medical terms that they don’t understand), and to allow the claims procedure to be as transparent as possible.

The majority of clinical negligence cases are funded by a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), more commonly known as a ‘no-win, no-fee’ agreement. This means that there will be nothing to pay upfront and nothing to pay if the claim has been lost.

Unprecedented difficulties with dental treatment in the UK