ANDOVER, England, April 1 /PRNewswire/ -- HSA's Annual Dental Survey 2008 has revealed that 1 in 5 of UK adults have put off visiting the dentist because they are concerned about the cost. The survey, by the Healthplan provider of nearly 1,000 consumers by independent research agency TNS, also found that over a quarter of adults believe that looking after their oral health is unaffordable. This could reveal a worrying picture for our future oral health.
Spokesperson for HSA, Richard Halley comments, "Our results come shortly after the NHS has revealed that half a million fewer adults are visiting the now dentist than two years ago(i). This could be down to cost, and also difficulty in accessing an NHS dentist. Indeed 27% of those surveyed claim that they have struggled to find an NHS dentist.
"If affordability is a concern people could consider taking out an HSA Healthplan. Plans starts from as little as GBP2.25 a week and provide the peace of mind you are covered for check-ups, treatment and emergencies, whether for an NHS or private dentist," concludes Richard.
The survey also unearthed the following results:
- Over two fifths of people think NHS dentistry will disappear altogether in the future, and 28% think it will exist in the future, but will only be available to a few
- 35% of those surveyed believe they could do more to look after their oral health
- Only 27% thought that the Government is doing enough to look after the oral health of children, according to the survey
HSA Healthplans are simple and affordable and cover check-ups, treatment and emergencies. They provide the reassurance that you can access healthcare when you need it, not when you can afford it. For further information visit http://www.hsa.co.uk or speak to someone in one of our UK call centres on 0800-072-6715.
Notes to Editor
- HSA electronically surveyed 321 companies from 25 February 2008 to 3 March 2008. We also surveyed 996 consumers via the Consumer Omnibus belonging to the independent research agency TNS. The surveys were carried out from 15 February 2008 to 19 February 2008 via face-to-face interviews
- HSA is a trading division of Simplyhealth Access and is a provider of Healthplans including Health Cash Plans, Dental Plans and Private Medical Insurance
- Part of the Simplyhealth Group, Simplyhealth Access is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority
- Simplyhealth is a community of healthcare businesses that has a common purpose: to help more people feel better
- As of December 2007, HSA had 866,000 customers providing cover for some 1,431,000 people
HSA would love to be the voice of your health conscience, so why not contact us?
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(i) figures released by the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care in Feb 08 indicate that half a million fewer patients are accessing state funded dental care than before they were introduced. In the two years to October 07, a total of 27.6 million patients saw an NHS dentist in England. This compares to 28.1 million in the two years to April 2006 according to the figures
Abby Bowman, Public Relations Manager +44-(0)1264-342561, Caroline Lakeman, Public Relations Executive, +44-(0)1264-342570. Or pr@hsa.co.uk. Out of hours contact information: Abby Bowman on +44-(0)7795-294448
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