Archive for the ‘Dental Access’ Category
Plymouth councillors criticise slow response to dental ‘crisis’
Councillors in Plymouth have criticised representatives from NHS England over the speed of the response to a dental ‘crisis’ in the city. One senior Labour councillor accused NHS England of trying to “paper over the cracks” and said that patients had been “let down” by an ineffective system. Councillors heard that funding has not been […]
Peterborough dental patients still struggling to get an appointment
Dental patients in Peterborough are still struggling to get an appointment, local councillors have revealed. At a meeting of the council’s Health Scrutiny Committee, concerns were raised about ongoing access problems for dental patients, although it was confirmed that there have been major improvements in the speed of getting primary care appointments since the start […]
Dental patients in Scotland could face 12-month wait for check-ups
Patients in Scotland could be facing a wait of around 12 months to see a dentist, it has emerged. As practices all over the country have closed due to the Coronavirus, there are concerns that a backlog of cases will prevent patients from being able to access routine appointments for a year. At present, dentists […]
Plymouth man travels 400 miles to see an emergency dentist
A man from Plymouth travelled 400 miles to see an emergency dentist over the Easter weekend after being unable to get an appointment closer to home. Daniel Duckett was advised to contact NHS 111 when he started developing severe dental pain, but he was unable to get through to an adviser despite calling several times. […]
Cornwall MP suggests dentist shortage is to blame for access problems
The MP for St Austell and Newquay, Steve Double, has suggested that a lack of funding is not the main cause of access issues across the South West. Instead, the Conservative MP believes that a shortage of dentists is contributing to long waiting times in Cornwall. Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Double outlined […]
Plymouth council leader appeals for urgent government help to solve dental access crisis
The leader of Plymouth City Council has called on the government to act urgently to solve a deepening dental crisis. Tudor Evans described the current situation as “shameful” and said that immediate action was required to prevent patients from resorting to extreme measures to deal with dental pain. Thousands of people are unable to see […]
Council report highlights dental access shortfall in Calderdale
Councillors in Calderdale have compiled a report highlighting a shortage of NHS dental places. Posing as an NHS dental patient looking for a place in the region, councillors found that only one practice was accepting new adult patients. Two local councillors took part in the ‘mystery shopping’ exercise before Christmas. They discovered that out of […]
New survey reveals 36% of employees avoid the dentist due to cost
A new survey has revealed that 36% of employees avoid going to the dentist as a result of worries about the cost of treatment. The poll, which was carried out by Unum Dental, revealed that cost was the most commonly cited barrier for employees. Almost a quarter of those surveyed (24%) admitted that the main […]
Plymouth councillor raises concerns over NHS dental access, as patients talk of pulling their own teeth out
A Plymouth councillor has raised concerns over access to NHS dental care after hearing from patients who resorted to pulling their own teeth out and using alcohol to try and numb tooth pain. Labour councillor for St Peter and the Waterfront, Sue McDonald, said that she had been contacted by anxious patients who had adopted […]
NHS England to offer extra cash for dentists in Portsmouth amid struggle to fill vacancies
NHS England is willing to offer extra cash for dentists who are prepared to move to Portsmouth amid ongoing struggles to fill vacancies. Dental access has been a cause for concern in the city after Colosseum Dental pulled the plug on its NHS contracts last year. The firm closed three surgeries unexpectedly, leaving thousands of […]
