One hundred people queue overnight and 27,000 call to try and claim NHS dentist spots

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A dental practice had one hundred people queue overnight and received thousands of calls as it opened up NHS slots for the first time.

Thousands scrambled to try and get appointments to access NHS services at the surgery in southern England - showing just how desperate many Brits are for cheap or free dental treatment.

Elli Cain, practice manager at Faversham Smiles in Kent, thanked patients and praised staff as NHS appointments were secured for more than 120 people on Tuesday (August 1).

In a Facebook post addressing the 'successful intake of new NHS patients', she explained: "From the first 60 enquiries (20 in queue, 20 by phone, and 20 by email), we have managed to secure appointments for over 120 patients." She continued: "I appreciate that compared to the sheer volume of enquiries today, this seems like very few; I simply ask that everyone bear in mind that these appointments have been secured in the near future, without needing to wait for months. Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features. "We must work within our capacity as there is no sense in booking in hundreds of patients but then not being able to provide their required treatment in a reasonable timeframe." She added that since 8am that same day, the practice had received 27,000 phone calls, more than 700 emails and 100 people visited the practice in-person.