Dentistry complaints rise at Bedfordshire, Luton & Milton Keynes ICB
Complaints lodged against Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes NHS dentistry services have risen in the last four years, a new investigation has revealed.
Fresh data obtained by Medical Negligence Assist via Freedom of Information Requests has revealed that the number of grievances regarding dentistry care in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes have hit a four-year-high.
Between 2019 and 2023, the PHSO has received 119 complaints about dentistry services run by Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes' Integrated Care Board (BLMK ICB) – with the figure for 2022/23 the highest it has been in four years.
A spokesperson for BLMK ICB said: “Since responsibility for commissioning dental services was given to integrated care boards from April 2023 onwards, we have been working hard both to increase access to dentistry for residents in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, and to improve the quality of the service they receive.”
According to the BLMK's board, it received a further 10 complaints between July 2023 and September 2024 – suggesting the true figure for the whole of last year is likely to hit a five-year-high.
Access to dental care and quality of care and treatment were the top dental complaints received by the board last year, as well as two more regarding communication.
Those suffering from dental problems should be treated at their local dentist with regular appointments to avoid severe situations, yet with many dentists not taking on new patients, people are turning up to A&E in their tens of thousands.
Medical Negligence Assist’s investigation also found that in the last five years, NHS Trusts across England have paid out £4.2 million in dentistry negligence claims.
The most common injury leading to a dentistry negligence claim was ‘dental damage’ of which 95 legal cases were settled with damages totalling £1,285,016 between 2019 and 2024.
The proportion of complaints upheld about NHS dentistry following an investigation stands at an average of 70 per cent - more than any other area of NHS care such as GP, hospital or mental health care.
NHS Resolution, the legal arm of the health service, says a total of 321 claims and incidents of medical negligence pertaining to dental care have been lodged against NHS Trusts in the last five years.
Of those, 248 claims were settled with compensation amounting to £4,259,975.