NHS dentist that is taking patients?

Isn't there a web site or phone number to find this out?

TIA!

No website is particularly useful, unfortunately.

Go to www.nhs.uk - put in your post code, tick dentists, and search. You'll get a list of the closest ones. But you need to click on each individual dentist to see if they're taking patients. BUT I will say that in this county the list can change almost weekly, so it's not guaranteed to be up-to-date.

SO. If you can't find one, google PALS + your county + PCT. You should get the contact details for the Patient Advice & Liaison Service for your PCT. They should maintain an up-to-date list.

In Scotland you can phone NHS Scotland and they will tell you. Where we live the answer is: there's a 2 year waiting list!

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I can recall TWO dentists in my area with signs on their doors saying that they are accepting patients!  I just assumed that most were this way...(has this made me get off my lazy bum & register with one?  Noooo...)

Is it worse in Scotland, maybe?

Is it worse in Scotland, maybe?

Lots worse. The person I talked to told me it's a real problem up here, and one day when I was on the bus a woman was asking where to get off for our local dental surgery, she had caught the train & bus from 60 miles away to see an NHS dentist for an emergency appointment!!

Is it worse in Scotland, maybe?

I get the impression it is.  My dad lives north of Aberdeen and has to travel to Edinburgh to see his dentist.  He's been on a waiting list for over 3 years.

OK that does it, I'm moving to where Aless lives!

There aren't any in my area either, I think it just depends. 

It definitely depends - on a lot of things. The sort of population of the county, the amount of money the PCT is given to use on dental contracts, how many dentists in the area decide they want to take part, etc.

In Buckinghamshire there are pockets that have loads of available dentists and pockets that have none. But if someone rings us we can pretty much always find them something - they may have to go to the other end of the county but they'll definitely be seen.

The other thing to bear in mind is that the restrictions on being on a dentist's list are not the same as a GP - you can see a dentist near your office, or near your relatives, or wherever - you aren't restricted to dentists in your immediate area....

Thanks, Anne. After being passed from pillar to post I finally got thru to the people who count. Looks like up here they send you a registration form and you select the geographic area you are willing to go to. Then you wait for an available practice. It sounds like there isn't much of a wait though - I hope.

Just to add that in my area, we have a dental helpline which is run by the Primary Care Contracts department in the PCT (not PALS) that maintains a list as to which dentists are accepting patients.

It really depends where you live.  Where I am (in Scotland), we found a fantastic NHS dentist and didn't have to wait at all. 

Any chance you could tell me which one Yael, so far I've been offered Paisley which is MILES away from where we live?

It really depends where you live.  Where I am (in Scotland), we found a fantastic NHS dentist and didn't have to wait at all. 

You're so lucky!!! Where?? Not in the Highlands methinks!

I'll pm you