Bath’s Riverside Health Centre Observes A Drop In Patient Numbers
Dentists at the NHS clinic in Bath have stated that their patient numbers have dropped, following the introduction of the ‘111 service’.
In order for patients to book an appointment they have to dial the emergency 111 number, which will ensure they see a dentist at the Dental Access Clinic.
Patient, Paul Stephenson, commented on the problems that he experienced when trying to book an appointment using this number. The 111 number is designed to take the strain off the emergency 999 and GP service.
Mr Stephenson, aged 60, is a local in the area and said he tried to get through to the practice several times. When he eventually received an appointment he found the surgery was completely empty. When discussing the situation with his dentist he was told that the practice had seen a dramatic drop in patients since the introduction of the 111 number.
During a trial period, the lack of staff meant that many had spent up to 20 minutes trying to contact many dental practices across the UK.
A spokesman of the clinic said he will be discussing the matter with the provider of the 111 number, also known as Harmoni. He went on to say that he will also be working with the Dental Access Clinic in order to make big improvements to the service.
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