Thousands of Wiltshire patients turn to A&E with toothache
Stats have been compiled for Lib Dem Chippenham MP Sarah Gibson
Thousands of Swindon and Wiltshire residents are reporting to A&E with toothache, because they are unable to get an NHS dental appointment.
Figures disclosed under a Freedom of Information request show that more than 3,500 people presented at Great Western Hospital’s A&E department with facial pain – including toothache – between January 2021 and May 2025.
The figures include 2,688 from Swindon and 740 from Wiltshire. A further 124 Swindonians and 55 Wiltshire residents attended A&E because of more serious dental injury.
The figures were provided to Liberal Democrat MP for Chippenham, Sarah Gibson.
“These figures reveal the cost of the Government not supporting our NHS dentists,” said Sarah.
“Wiltshire and Swindon have become dental deserts, forcing people to travel to our hospitals because they cannot see a dentist in their community.”
“This only puts more pressure on our overstretched hospital services, who are doing a fantastic job under immense strain.”
“I am disappointed that the Government’s NHS 10 Year Plan did not come with the long-promised NHS dental contract reform – something the British Dental Association and dentists in my constituency are crying out for.”
A spokesperson for NHS England – South West told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the NHS 10 Year Plan highlights an aim to improve access to NHS dentistry, increase the number of NHS dentists working in the system by making the dental contract more attractive, and introducing tie-ins for those trained in the NHS.
“To support this ambition in the South West, we will expand dental placements by 24 per cent by 2028/29, taking the overall number that year to 1,000 places,” she said.
“Work is also underway through the establishment of Centres for Dental Development to bring together dental education and training with service delivery models, particularly in areas where there is a shortage of workforce relative to population needs.”
She said that patients attending A&E would be triaged and assessed, given pain relief if appropriate, and directed to the contact their own dentist.