Today marks the release of the NHS Dentistry Statistics Annual Report for 2023/2024, shedding light on the current landscape of dental care in England. This report should act as a crucial resource for dental practices, industry professionals, and healthcare policymakers, as it provides invaluable insights into dental activities and workforce trends. Below, we break down the key findings and what they mean for dental practices across the country.
Key Findings
- Rise in Dental Treatments
- The report reveals that a total of 34 million dental treatments were delivered in 2023/24, representing a 4.3% increase compared to the previous year. This growth is a clear sign of the ongoing recovery of dental services post-pandemic, underscoring the increasing demand for dental care across England. As patients return to dental practices, it’s essential for these practices to be prepared to meet this growing need efficiently.
- Increase in Dental Activity Units (UDAs)
- The number of UDAs awarded has also seen a 3.4% rise, reaching 73 million. This increase reflects the continued effort to address the backlog of treatments, ensuring that patients receive the care they need in a timely manner. The rise in UDAs is a positive step towards clearing waiting lists and improving access to essential dental services.
- Workforce Dynamics
- While the number of NHS dentists performing dental activities has slightly increased to 24,300, this figure remains 1.5% lower than pre-pandemic levels in 2019/20. The slight increase indicates some recovery, but it also highlights ongoing challenges in workforce recruitment and retention within the sector. For practices, this means continuing to balance patient demand with the available workforce, which can be a significant operational challenge.
- Regional Disparities
- South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) has the highest percentage of the adult population seen by an NHS dentist at 55.7%, while Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB had the lowest at 29.1%.
- South Yorkshire ICB also had the highest percentage of the child population seen by an NHS dentist at 63.6%, while Somerset ICB had the lowest with 42.8%.
Other 2023/24 Key Findings:
- 55.4% – National mean for child population seen by an NHS dentist.
- There were 6.7 million child patients seen in the 12 months up to the end of March 2024.
- 40.3% – National mean for adult population seen by an NHS dentist.
- There were 18 million adult patients seen in the 24 months up to the end of March 2024.
- 56% of courses of treatment for children included fluoride varnish clinical treatment.
- 31% of adult courses of treatment included scale and polish.
- 52.3% of adults attempted to get an NHS dental appointment within the last 2 years.
- 29% increase in searches for “dental nurse jobs”.
What Does This Mean for Dental Practices?
The implications of this report are clear: there is an urgent need to optimise patient management and engagement strategies to ensure that patients can access the care they need. Practices must also be proactive in addressing the workforce challenges by investing in training and retaining current staff while streamlining operations to maximise efficiency. As patient volumes rise and workforce pressures continue, practices must find ways to maintain high standards of care while optimising resources.
This is where tools like FollowApp can play a crucial role. By leveraging technology to manage patient communications more effectively, practices can reduce the administrative burden on their staff, ensure that patients are prompted to rebook, and improve overall patient satisfaction. FollowApp’s ability to facilitate post-appointment follow-ups and gather patient feedback can also help practices identify areas for improvement and respond to patient needs more swiftly.
Leveraging Technology to Overcome Challenges
The current NHS dentistry landscape presents an opportunity for dental practices to innovate and adopt new technologies that can help bridge the gap between patient demand and service delivery. Tools like FollowApp not only enhance patient communication but also provide valuable insights into patient behaviour and preferences, allowing practices to tailor their services to meet the evolving needs of their patients.
As we move forward, it’s clear that the practices that embrace innovation and prioritise patient communication will be best equipped to succeed in this rapidly changing environment.
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