More long queues have formed at a new dental practice in St Pauls, Bristol, as local residents try once again to book in with an NHS dentist for the first time in months.
The long line has formed along Ashley Court, outside the former Bupa Dental Care site, now renamed Saint Pauls Dental Practice, for a second time this week.
Similar scenes were witnessed yesterday (February 6) when hundreds of people formed a lengthy line along Ashley Court in a bid to register at the newly reopened practice. It was disappointment for many when PCSOs began turning away some of the gathered crowd but today seems to have brought new hope for residents in the area.
The Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB), which is the body responsible for the provision of dental care, announced last year that SGA Services Ltd would take over the practice.
We'll bring you more updates here as this unfolds. Scroll down for the latest information, pictures and video.
Key Events
'Streets worth' of people
The fact that an nhs dentist opened up in Bristol and there’s streets worth of queues that have police on crowd control because people are so desperate for a space really says it all doesn’t it
— kirk (@kirk396) February 6, 2024
'Massive queues'
Meanwhile in the news there are massive queues in Bristol over the last two days to register with a new NHS dentist with police and security guards called into to manage the crowds.
— James Hughes (@mcneill1967) February 6, 2024
Long queues form
Second day of queuing
MP says queues 'lay bare the state of dentistry'
Labour MP Preet Gill, Shadow Minister for Primary Care and Public Health, has issued a statement in response to the situation in St Pauls today, taking aim at the government.
“These queues lays bare the state of dentistry after 14 years of the Conservatives. 99% of dentists across the South West aren't accepting any new adult patients.
“The consequences for patients are dire. Last year, there were more than 1,000 dental emergencies in Bristol alone.
“Labour will provide 700,000 urgent appointments, recruit new dentists to the areas most in need, and introduce a targeted national toothbrushing scheme to 3–5 year-olds, paid for by abolishing the non-dom tax status.”
Queue closed by PCSOs
Registration for the St Pauls dental practice has closed for today, with PCSOs at the scene turning people away. It is thought everyone behind the officers here will be able to register and everyone in front of them will be asked to come back another day.
Hundreds queue for new Bristol NHS dentist and say 'it's absurd it's come to this'
Hundreds of people waited in line this morning to register for a newly-reopened Bristol dental practice on opening day. Patients expressed their "disgust" and said it was "absurd" that the city's shortage had left people queuing for hours in the cold just for a chance of accessing NHS dental care.
One local resident who is almost 80 said she had been standing outside St Pauls Dental Practice since 8.30am and was still there two hours later. She said she has a disabled friend currently undergoing cancer treatment who was further back in the queue, which stretched back all the way along Ashley Court and round the corner.
Police on the scene
More than 1,000 dental emergencies in Bristol last year
Between April 1, 2022 and March 31,2023 North Bristol NHS Trust saw 235 patients enter their emergency department with dental abscesses and 55 as a result of tooth decay. University Hospitals, Bristol and Weston NHS foundation Trust saw 775 patients with dental abscesses and 290 with tooth decay in the same time period according to the official NHS statistics.
Huge queues as PCSOs arrive
PCSOs have arrived on in St Pauls as long queues continue. BristolLive understands some officers have just arrived on the scene.
Queue stretching into the distance
In scenes reminiscent of Soviet-era eastern Europe, a queue stretches into the distance as a new NHS dental practice opens in Bristol.
Hundreds queue at St Pauls dentist
"Exciting" to see dentist reopen, says Cllr Amirah Cole
Ashley Ward councillor Amirah Cole said it was "exciting" to see the dental practice reopen. "The dentist has finally opened, Bupa densit which closed over nine months ago is now opening back in the area," she said.
"The queue is very long," Cllr Cole added, saying it was "exciting for all of us" to see the practice open once again.
" It's disgusting that it was closed in the first place," says local
Local resident Maria told BristolLive she had been sat in the queue since 8.30am today (February 5).
"The dentist has been closed for some time," she said. "I couldn't get into any of the other dentists - the appointments were fully booked, the waiting lists were too long.
"I'm also a carer - although I'm nearly 80 - and I think it's important to keep up with good healthcare. It's disgusting that it was closed in the first place, I don't know why they did it."
Maria added that she thought it was "not acceptable" that local residents were now having to queue outside the practice.
"One of my neighbours - she's facing an operation for cancer tomorrow. She'll be somewhere in the queue. She's also disabled and can't stand for very long, but she's had no choice but to stand."
The previous dentist, Bupa Dental Care, closed in June last year. Maria said she didn't think there were enough dentists for the number of people in the area.
"This, really, was a godsend until it closed. I don't know how they could have closed it down."
New provider appointed
New providers, SGA Services Ltd, was appointed to take over the dental surgery last year, after Bupa Dental Care closed in June, leaving the area without an NHS dentist.
