Dental patients are travelling over 50 miles to see a dentist amid access crisis
Patients are having to drive over 50 miles to see a dentist in some parts of the country, as the dental access crisis continues to dominate the headlines.
One patient in Scarborough said that he had contacted every single dental practice in Scarborough and Filey and was informed that none of the clinics were currently taking on new NHS patients. A couple of the practices he called were offering private dental treatment, but he didn’t want to pay for private care and was left trying to find a dentist further afield in Hull, Leeds or York.
Another patient based in Yorkshire reported that his wife needed root canal treatment but had been unable to get an appointment, despite calling several practices. In the end, he was encouraged to drive over 50 miles so that his wife could see a dentist. Talking about his experience, he said that situation was even more worrying because a new housing estate is opening in the area, which means that services will be under greater pressure in the months ahead.
The British Dental Association representative for North Yorkshire, Mark Green, described the situation as “dreadful” and said that the current NHS contract has contributed to health inequalities and access issues in the region. The demand for services is increasing and dental teams are under strain due to the pandemic and the restrictions in place, but there were already widespread problems prior to the outbreak of Covid-19. Mr Green criticised the contract, which he said failed to address health inequalities across the UK. By the end of 2020, Mr Green added, around 80 NHS contracts had been handed back because they were not viable.
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