NHS Dental Waiting List Allocations & Patient Preferences

Summary

The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed NHS dental waiting list sizes and allocation numbers for late 2025 but confirmed it does not hold data regarding patient preferences or audit trails linking preferences to allocations.

Key Facts

• The Department of Health and Social Care does not hold information on patient preferences for dental practices or geographical areas.
• There is no audit trail available to link a patient's stated preference to their eventual allocation.
• Waiting list and allocation data is supplied to the Department by Manx Care via the Integrated Performance Report (IPR).
• The number of patients on the waiting list increased from 1,756 in November 2025 to 2,008 in December 2025.
• Discrepancies in allocation numbers between reports are due to retrospective changes as additional patients were allocated after the initial submission date.

Data Disclosed

• 1756
• 2008
• 96
• 214
• 442
• 488
• 5183
• 35
• 99
• 134
• 92
• 1 May 2025
• 12 January 2026
• November 2025
• December 2025
• IPCC7
• IPCC9

Original Request

Please provide the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2015. For the period 1 May 2025 to 12 January 2026 (or the latest data held within this range): Waiting list size Total number of patients remaining on the NHS dental waiting list as at the most recent date available within this period. Allocations Total number of patients allocated an NHS dental place from the dental waiting list. Of those patients, how many were: a) Allocated to their stated preferred dental practice b) Allocated within their stated preferred geographical area c) Allocated outside any stated preference Patient preference data Is patient preference for dental practice and/or area recorded when joining the dental waiting list? If yes, how is this preference recorded (e.g., free text, coded field, manual record)? Is this preference data held in a format that allows extraction or analysis? Allocation records Is the dental practice to which a patient is allocated recorded at the point their details are forwarded to a provider? Is there an audit trail that links a patient's stated preference to their eventual allocation? Information not held If any of the above information is not held, please specify: a) Which information is not held b) Why it is not held Responsibility Please confirm whether responsibility for holding this information rests with Manx Care, DHSC, or both. If any information is withheld, please cite the specific exemption relied upon.

Data Tables (2)

Full Response Text

Interim Chief Officer: Professor Tim O'Neill Freedom of Information Team First Floor Belgravia House Circular Road Douglas IM1 1AE

Our ref: 5223522 6th February 2026

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 12 January 2026, which states:

"Please provide the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2015.

For the period 1 May 2025 to 12 January 2026 (or the latest data held within this range):

Waiting list size

Total number of patients remaining on the NHS dental waiting list as at the most recent date available within this period.

Allocations

Total number of patients allocated an NHS dental place from the dental waiting list.

Of those patients, how many were:

a) Allocated to their stated preferred dental practice

b) Allocated within their stated preferred geographical area

c) Allocated outside any stated preference

Patient preference data

Is patient preference for dental practice and/or area recorded when joining the dental waiting list?

If yes, how is this preference recorded (e.g., free text, coded field, manual record)?

Is this preference data held in a format that allows extraction or analysis?

Allocation records

Is the dental practice to which a patient is allocated recorded at the point their details are forwarded to a provider?

Is there an audit trail that links a patient's stated preference to their eventual allocation?

Information not held

If any of the above information is not held, please specify:

a) Which information is not held

b) Why it is not held

Responsibility

Please confirm whether responsibility for holding this information rests with Manx Care, DHSC, or both.

If any information is withheld, please cite the specific exemption relied upon."

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Department of Health and Social Care (the Department) is unable to provide some of the information that you have requested.

Information held by the Department

Waiting list size

For the period 1 May 2025 to 12 January 2026 (or the latest data held within this range):

1. Total number of patients remaining on the NHS dental waiting list as at the most recent date available within this period.

KPI ID: IPCC7 Number of patients awaiting allocation to an NHS dentist November IPR November 2025
1756 December IPR* December 2025
2008

Allocations

For the period 1 May 2025 to 12 January 2026 (or the latest data held within this range):

2.Total number of patients allocated an NHS dental place from the dental waiting list.

KPI ID: IPCC9 Number of patients allocated from the dental waiting list to an NHS dental practice 2025 May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec November IPR* 96 214 442 488 5183 35 99

December IPR** 96 214 442 488 5183 35 134 92

You will notice a difference in the above numbers for KPI ID, IPCC9 for November 2025. All data supplied for the IPR is a point-in-time extract; therefore, this is a retrospective change that occurred as additional patients were allocated after the previous submission date for the November report.

The information in the tables above is supplied to the Department by Manx Care as part of the Integrated Performance Report (IPR), these reports are also published by Manx Care Integrated Performance Report (IPR).

We have provided details received from Manx Care in the November and December IPRs. For clarity, the November IPR was held and received by the Department prior to your request. The December IPR* was received by the Department after your request was received but would have been provided to the Department whether we received this FOI request or not.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Department of Health and Social Care (the Department) does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested in line with Section 11(3)(a) of the Act.

Information not held by the Department:

Allocations

Of those patients, how many were:

2a) Allocated to their stated preferred dental practice

2b) Allocated within their stated preferred geographical area

2c) Allocated outside any stated preference

Patient preference data

3a.Is patient preference for dental practice and/or area recorded when joining the dental waiting list?

3b.If yes, how is this preference recorded (e.g., free text, coded field, manual record)?

3c. Is this preference data held in a format that allows extraction or analysis?

Allocation records

4a Is the dental practice to which a patient is allocated recorded at the point their details are forwarded to a provider?

4b Is there an audit trail that links a patient's stated preference to their eventual allocation?

To provide advice and assistance, the Department of Health and Social Care sets the strategic direction to develop and evolve the Island’s approach to health and social care delivery, regulation, and commissioning as set by the vision outlined in the Department Plan. The delivery of health and social care services to patients and service users on the Isle of Man are provided by Manx Care and its contracted service providers.

The Department have specified performance metrics via the Mandate those covering Dentistry are shown on page 19 of the Appendix 3 – Performance Metrics. Manx Care’s monthly report on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for each service area is the Integrated Performance Report (IPR) these are published monthly and include these metrics on Dentistry that may prove helpful to you.

We have extracted details from KPIs IPCC7 and IPCC9 held by the Department and supplied to us by Manx Care in the IPR to answer responses numbered 1 and 2 above. The Department does not hold data relating to the other points 2a-4b shown above as accommodating patients' preferences is primarily an operational matter and therefore metrics on patient preference have not been specified for routine reporting in Appendix 3 to the Mandate.

You may wish to re-submit your request to Manx Care which is an option available on the Freedom of Information request portal, who may be able to help you.

Please quote the reference number 5223522 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on;

1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or
2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
   In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.