In 2008 there was a decreasing availability of NHS dentistry following a new government contract[REF] and a trend towards dentists accepting private patients only,[REF] with 1 in 10 dentists having left the NHS totally.
A 14 October 2008 article in The Daily Telegraph stated, "An NHS trust has spent more than £12,000 on private treatment for hospital staff because its own waiting times are too long."[REF]