Local health watchdog highlights barriers to dental care in Camden
A local health watchdog has highlighted the most common barriers to dental care in Camden.
Healthwatch Camden has recently compiled and published a report detailing the experiences of local people living in the London borough. The ‘Accessing Dental Services in Camden: Experiences of Local People’ report flags up issues raised by dental patients in the area, including a lack of clarity surrounding NHS pricing and difficulty getting an appointment at a suitable time.
Although there were issues reported to the health watchdog, it wasn’t all bad news and many patients were happy with the service they received from NHS dental services based in Camden.
Frances Hasler, director of Healthwatch Camden, explained that the most common reasons for avoiding the dentist were confusion over the cost of NHS dental care and not considering going to the dentist important. Some members of the community also stated that they were unsure about which kinds of treatments were available on the NHS. Some people also complained that waiting times were too long.
In light of the findings, Healthwatch Camden has welcomed a “collaborative approach” between Healthwatch Camden and local dentists going forward. The body is hoping that raising concerns will make it possible to find solutions and improve the service in the future.
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