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Citizens Advice

The Citizens Advice service helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free, independent and confidential advice, and by influencing policymakers.

Every Citizens Advice Bureau is a registered charity reliant on trained volunteers and funds to provide these vital services for local communities.

Citizens Advice service strategy 2008 - 2011 cover


Citizens Advice response to the independent review of NHS dental services in England

Citizens Advice Social Policy Officer Liz Phelps, said:

“People have a right to NHS dentistry, but for many this has been a right they haven’t been able to exercise. This has to change. Citizens Advice very much hopes this report can provide the basis for the Government and dental profession to move forward together, to ensure that NHS dentistry provides an accessible and high quality service for everyone who wants it.

“The report’s findings reflect CAB evidence that more needs to be done by PCTs to make sure it is easy to find a dentist. We welcome the report’s recommendation that information on how to find a dentist should be placed where the public tends to look (e.g. telephone directories, GP surgeries). It is also right that NHS dentists who cannot take on new patients should be required to direct them to an appropriate source of information on how to find a dentist.”

  • An Ipsos MORI survey carried out for Citizens Advice in December 2007 found that lack of access was the most common reason cited by people in England and Wales for not seeing an NHS dentist:
    www.citizensadvice.org.uk/press_20080106


Notes to editors:

  1. The Citizens Advice service is a network of independent charities that helps people resolve their money, legal and other problems by providing information and advice and by influencing policymakers.
    For more information in England and Wales www.citizensadvice.org.uk
    For more information and 2008/9 service statistics see Introduction to the service
    For 2008/9 service highlights see the Citizens Advice service impact report
    For 2008/9 social policy campaigning highlights see the Citizens Advice social policy impact report
  2. The advice provided by the Citizens Advice service is free, independent, confidential, and impartial, and available to everyone regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age or nationality.
  3. Most Citizens Advice service staff are trained volunteers, working at over 3,300 locations across England and Wales.
  4. Citizens Advice Bureaux in England and Wales advised 2 million clients on 6 million problems from April 2008 to March 2009
  5. Advice and information www.adviceguide.org.uk
  6. Volunteer hotline 08451 264264 (local rate)
  7. Citizens Advice Guide to your rights, second edition: January 2008 - over 600 pages of practical, independent CAB advice. An invaluable resource for any bookshelf - available from all good bookshops; price £11.99; ISBN: 9780141034089
  8. Follow Citizens Advice on Twitter: (New window) twitter.com/CitizensAdvice
  9. Subscribe to Citizens Advice press releases via RSS news feed: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/pressoffice