A summary report comparing these results to the previous year (July to September 2011) is published alongside.
**Headline figures of the Department of Health **
GP Patient Survey Dental Statistics:
- 1.4 million adults contacted, 475,000 replies received with a response rate of 34.8%.
- Of all respondents asked, 60% stated they have tried to get an NHS dental appointment in the last two years.
- Of those that tried to get an appointment in the last two years, the success rate in getting an appointment was 94%.
- Success in getting an NHS dental appointment was lower for those going to a practice they had not been to before, younger adults and for ethnic minorities.
- 83% of respondents who tried to get an appointment in the last two years rated their NHS dental experience as positive (47% very good and 36% fairly good);
- 40% of adults did not try to get an appointment with an NHS dentist in the last two years, 22% had not tried at all and 18% last tried over 2 years ago.
- The main reason given for not trying to get an appointment was “not needed to visit the dentist” which was mentioned by a fifth of adults (20%) who did not try.
- 38% of those who did not try to get an NHS dental appointment gave private dentistry as the reason, 19% stating they prefer private dentistry and 18% staying when their dentist move from NHS to private.
- 14% of the respondents who didn’t try to get an NHS dental appointment gave their reason as “I didn’t think I could get an NHS dental appointment”.
Full Department of Health analysis, including a summary report is available on the Department of Health website.
Main GP Patient Survey results are available on the Department of Health website.