Thousands of Scots are attending A&E departments to get dental treatment amid claims the service is ‘on the brink of collapse’.
Some desperate people calling NHS 24 with teeth and gum problems are now being directed straight to hospitals that are already stretched to breaking point.
New figures show that between April 2021 and last month, a total of 11,783 callers to the non-emergency hotline were told to attend A&E to have their dental pain dealt with.
The statistics – obtained under Freedom of Information – come amid a crisis in Scotland’s dentists’ surgeries, with patients often struggling to even get an appointment.
Meanwhile, in A&E, tens of thousands are waiting for more than four hours to be seen with health boards telling Scots to stay away unless they have a life-threatening condition.
Patients in Scotland are struggling to get dental appointments, forcing them to turn to A&E departments
Last night, Scottish Labour health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: ‘These damning figures lay bare the scale of the crisis engulfing dentistry in Scotland and the pressure it is putting on our wider NHS.
‘Under the SNP, far too many people are struggling to access basic dental care and problems are left to reach crisis point.
‘Dentistry in Scotland has become a two-tier system.
‘NHS dentistry is on the brink of collapse, and we need an urgent plan to save it.
‘We must fix the broken funding model, and ensure people can get the dental treatment they need before resorting to A&E.’
Callers to NHS 24 are given an option to be connected to the Scottish Emergency Dental Service [SEDS].
Between April 2021 and June 2024, SEDS was chosen 372,640 times.
While most callers were advised to visit a dentist for their pain, 8,765 were told to seek treatment at A&E within the hour.
A further 3,018 who dialled 111 complaining of dental or oral pain but didn’t choose to speak to SEDS were also directed to hospital.
In addition to that total of 11,783 sent to A&E, another 365 were advised to visit their local Minor Injuries Unit.
Scotland is facing a shortage of dentists, partly because training courses were disrupted by the pandemic, but also due to a rising population.
Since 2018, the number working in ‘high street’ surgeries offering NHS treatment has plummeted 9 per cent from 3,061 to 2,800.
More than four in five have closed their doors to new patients, and a similar proportion say they are planning to give more priority to private work.
The British Dental Association insisted people should never be sent to A&E for routine care and only if they are suffering a life-threatening condition.
David McColl, chair of its Scottish Dental Practice Committee, said: ‘Access problems have long put pressure on other parts of the NHS.
‘The Scottish Government rolled out reforms last year to try and make [NHS dentistry] more sustainable.
‘Time will tell if they’ve delivered results, but certainly practices across Scotland are still struggling to recruit and retain staff.
‘Every vacancy will potentially translate into thousands of patients unable to access care.’
The Scottish Lib Dems recently led a Holyrood debate on the crisis.
The party’s leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: ‘The SNP have left NHS dentistry to rot and people are in pain.
‘In Fife, there isn’t a single NHS dentist currently open to new patients.
‘Many are now resorting to drastic options, from DIY dentistry with tools purchased on Amazon to travelling back to war-torn Ukraine for treatment.
‘These figures show that getting a grip on the crisis would have benefits across our hard-pressed healthcare system.
‘We have set out plans that would end “dental deserts” and bring back local NHS dentists.
‘They would see ministers prioritise workforce planning and boost the number of dentists taking on NHS patients.’ Scottish Conservative deputy health spokesperson Tess White added: ‘This is yet another example of the SNP’s appalling mismanagement of Scotland’s NHS.
‘They have decimated the NHS dentistry service, leaving patients without treatment or forced to go private.
‘Now the burden is being passed onto overwhelmed A&E staff who are not best-placed to deal with these issues and are under immense pressure due to years of SNP inaction.’
Scotland’s A&E departments are already plagued by long waiting times and staffing problems
The last two years have also seen Scotland’s A&E crisis swelling.
In May, despite NHS bosses in many areas warning the public to stay away unless it is a life-and-death emergency, the total number of attendees rose to 143,645 – the highest figure since the pandemic.
But 29 per cent of them had to hold on for at least four hours to be seen.
An NHS 24 spokesman said: ‘SEDS delivers advice and support on dental health and dental services to the people of Scotland during the out-of-hours period.
‘Patients who contact SEDS through NHS 24’s 111 service are assessed by dental nurses, who then advise on the most appropriate dental care pathway.
‘Between 2 and 4 per cent of all dental calls fall into the Emergency Category, and in some situations it may be deemed necessary to directly refer a patient to A&E.
‘This can include severe cases of dental abscess, haemorrhage, or facial trauma.
‘Since April 2021, 3.2 per cent of callers contacting SEDS have been advised to attend A&E, which is within the expected rate of patients falling within the Emergency Category.’
