Community group fears Highland patients could face 140-mile trip to the dentist
Members of a community group in the Scottish Highlands has voiced concerns over access to NHS dentists as a local practice closes.
Skye and Lochalsh Dental Practice is shutting, which will affect around 4,000 residents. The firm that runs the surgery is currently up for sale and the dentists are either leaving the region or retiring.
A spokesperson for NHS Highland said that patients can transfer to another practice on Skye but members of the Kyle Collaborate believe some patients could have to travel long distances to see a dentist due to a shortage of places.
The group has been informed that some patients may have to travel to Dingwall or Portree. Dingwall is 67 miles from Lochalsh, meaning that patients will face a round-trip of over 130 miles.
Maggie Byrne, from the collaborate, said that the distances people will be travelling to access NHS care are not acceptable, especially as some residents may not drive.
Some patients will be automatically moved to Portree Dental Care and there is also a public service based at Kyle Health Centre, which operates three days a week. This service caters to priority patients. NHS Highland is also currently looking for a full-time dentist to join the service at Kyle and Dunvegan Health Centre. The trust claims that a national shortage of NHS dentists has contributed to recruitment problems, which are making it difficult for local practices to fill vacancies and reducing capacities.
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