NHS England vows to ‘monitor the situation’ amid continued struggles to find a dentist in Bury St Edmunds
NHS England has promised to ‘monitor the situation’ in Bury St Edmunds, after it emerged that patients are still struggling to find a dentist. Problems started to become apparent after the town’s mydentist clinic closed in January. Since then, local practices have been inundated, and many people are consequently finding it hard to find a surgery that has places available.
The mydentist surgery, which was located on Kings Road, shut in January, leaving thousands of people without a dentist. Now, nearly a year later, other practices have filled their places, and there’s a number of patients struggling to make an appointment. Many practices have already closed their lists for the time being, and others, including Sycamore House Dental Practice, are keeping a close eye on numbers to see if there are any extra places available for patients on waiting lists. Currently, the clinic has both child and adult places, but they are expected to be filled imminently.
Healthwatch Suffolk’s chief executive, Andy Yacoub, said that as the county’s third-largest town, it is not acceptable to have just one practice with spaces on offer. The body has appealed for NHS England to do more to improve access, and NHS England’s locality director for the Midlands and East said that the situation is being closely monitored. According to Simon Evans, NHS England is currently working to explore both short and long-term options for the town.
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