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Daily queues for NHS dentistry are at risk of ‘becoming the new normal’, says association

2 mins read Patient education
The British Dental Association (BDA) has urged the government to step up as Leigh, a town in Greater Manchester, joined the growing list of communities where struggling patients have queued from the break of dawn to secure access to NHS dentistry.

Daily queues starting as early as 4 am have been reported outside the Avenue Dental Centre in Leigh town centre, which offers appointments to all NHS patients on a first-come-first-serve basis.

This follows reports from Faversham, Kent, last month, where a practice received 27,000 calls for just 60 NHS slots, and in Kings Lynn, which in May saw queues of more than 300 also form from 4 am.

Leah Price, who requires regular dental treatment as a result of Chron's Disease, photographed the scenes. She told local media, “the people working in the NHS are trying their hardest.

"But in this country, people should not be camping outside a dentist at 4 am on camp chairs just to get on the NHS patient list, it’s wrong.

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