New data shows that there have been approximately 2,286 complaints* made regarding dental care to the NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) across England in the tax year 2024-2025.

Patient Claim Line sent Freedom of Information requests to 42 NHS ICBs to find out the number of formal complaints made about dental care across England.

The number of formal complaints about dental care by ICB (Tax year 2024/2025)

Out of the 40 ICBs, which responded with the requested information, NHS Greater Manchester ICB had received the highest number of complaints, standing at 221.

The Integrated Care Boards released breakdowns of the common complaints which were made pertaining to dental care, with a number of ICBs providing ranges for particular breakdowns.

At Greater Manchester ICB, the most common complaint regarding dental care was in relation to treatment (76 complaints), followed by behaviour (63 complaints) and then appointments and waiting (35 complaints).

The top dental complaint at Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB was in relation to access and waiting (134 complaints), with the top dental complaint at Mid and South Essex ICB being access to treatment and drugs (43 complaints), followed by patient care (36 complaints).

Formal complaints pertaining to dental care by ICB (Tax year 2024/2025)
Integrated Care Board
Number of formal complaints about dental care in tax year 2024/25
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
221
NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board
203
NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board
131
NHS North East London Integrated Care Board
118
NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board
113
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board
111
NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board
100
NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board
Max: 93, Min: 61
NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board
88
NHS Devon Integrated Care Board
76
NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board
73
NHS North Central London Integrated Care Board
74
NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board
74
NHS Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board
Max: 72, Min: 60
NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board
70
NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board
67
NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board
67
NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board
Max: 65, Min: 56
NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board
49
NHS South East London Integrated Care Board
48
NHS South West London Integrated Care Board
42
NHS North West London Integrated Care Board
37
NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board
36
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board
36
NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care Board
32
NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board
22
NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board
18
NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board
16
NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board
16
NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board
16
NHS Frimley Integrated Care Board
Max: 16, Min: 4
NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board
15
NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board
14
NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board
12
NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board
12
NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
10
NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board
9
NHS Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board
8
NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board
5
NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
1
‘Min’ denotes the minimum number of complaints made about dental care under this ICB, with ‘Max’ denoting the maximum number. These complaints are given in a range due to some breakdown figures stating ‘under X figure’, due to low figures and to protect identities.

The number of dentistry complaints received by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (2020-2025)

A further 1,771 dentistry complaints were made to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman in the tax year 2024 to 2025.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman makes the final decision on unresolved complaints about NHS England.

These make up part of 8,702 complaints made to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman between 2020 and 2025.