Hundreds queue for hours in the cold outside new dentist in the hope of NHS dental care

Police were called to manage the situation as hundreds waited in the cold in the hope of claiming an NHS spot

Hundreds of people have joined a queue outside a new dental practice in the hope of getting NHS dental care. Saint Pauls Dental Practice in Bristol opened today (Monday, February 5) under new management and was previously known as Bupa Dental Practice.

The long line along Ashley Court began forming early in the morning as locals tried to get NHS treatment. Police were called to manage the massive crowd which has been called "absurd" by one local woman.

Ahead of the new local dental practice opening in St Pauls at 11am this morning, residents living in St Pauls and nearby areas were informed via social media. They had been told to arrive in the morning to register a place, and police community support officers soon arrived to help manage the growing crowd.

The national crisis in NHS dental care hit a new low when Bupa Dental Care announced in 2023 that it would be closing 85 branches across the country, including one of its Bristol branches in St Pauls. Following the announcement, a local resident started a petition against the closure as it meant locals would be left without NHS dental care.

The community then came together and formed a campaign group, held regular protests and was then invited to work with the regional Integrated Care Board (ICB) to help secure a new dentist for the building. It was ported in November that SGA Services Ltd, which currently has practices in Southmead and Thornbury, had been contracted to open a new dental practice.

While hundreds of eager dental patients waited in the queue, it is uncertain if the new branch will have enough NHS places to meet the high demand. Maria, who lives nearby on Lower Cheltenham Place, is almost 80 but stood in the queue for two and a half hours to secure a place after being unable to get an NHS place in other nearby practices after the Bupa one closed.

She said: “I think it’s important to keep up with good healthcare. It’s disgusting that it was closed in the first place.

“One of my neighbours is facing an operation for cancer tomorrow, she will be somewhere in the queue, she’s also disabled and can’t stand very long but she has no choice and is way back in the queue. There are just not enough dentists available for the people in the area and this was a godsend until it closed. I don’t know how they could have closed it down.”

Tara Miran said: “I’m feeling quite emotional, I’m feeling like it’s a victory but it does feel like a small victory in the bigger national NHS crisis that we have. It’s unfair that people are queuing like this, especially in our community where there are a lot of vulnerable people. The dream is for there not to be such queues for NHS dentistry, I think people should take inspiration in their own areas and fight for what’s yours, fight for basic NHS dentistry so we don’t have these queues.”