Local residents’ experiences of Dental services

Report - 12 October 2020

The purpose of this survey was to asked local residents to share their experiences of dentistry. To understand what major factors influence their experiences and identify any differences between NHS patients and private patients.

Summary

All Dental Practices within Telford & Wrekin were contacted and asked to take part in the survey. However, due to the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) we were unable to undertake face-to-face engagement. The results from this study showed that overall, most patients were happy with the service they were receiving, however, some felt the service at their practice had areas that could be improved.

Key Findings

Overall, most patients were happy with the service they were receiving from their Dental Practice
Patients told us they would like the booking system to be improved because of the lack of availability and would prefer a more flexible approach, such as offering early mornings or weekend appointments
Appointment reminders were considered helpful
Booking an emergency appointment was difficult
Some patients felt that when trying to book an appointment with the Receptionist(s) their attitude towards them made it more difficult
Patients who had an appointment and were waiting to see the Dentist or Hygienist were not offered a reason for any delay
When patients had booked in to see a specific Dental Professional, they were still able to see the professional they originally booked their appointment with
Whilst only a small number of patients received medication, we found that more than 30% of these patients felt that not everything they needed to know was explained to them
Access to some Dental Practices could be improved, specifically for wheelchair users