Dental patients in East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire face waits of 3 years for NHS appointments
Dental patients in East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire face waits of up to three years for NHS dental appointments, according to a recent report.
Research carried out by Healthwatch England revealed that a growing number of patients in the region are struggling to get an appointment, with very few NHS places available. The watchdog, which represents patients, urged the government to take “urgent” action.
Kedma Woodmansey, from Market Weighton in East Yorkshire, decided to combine visiting family in Brazil with going to the dentist after being unable to register with an NHS dentist in the local area.
Mrs Woodmansey has tried to find an NHS dentist since her family moved to Market Weighton years ago, but there have never been NHS places available for new patients. She visits Brazil at least once a year and has been arranging dental appointments during her travels to avoid having to join long waiting lists or pay for private treatment. During the pandemic, when it wasn’t possible to travel, she tried numerous times to get an appointment locally, but was unsuccessful.
Mrs Woodmansey’s story was echoed by many other patients in the area, including retired teacher, Hilary Andre, who moved to Cottingham in 2020. She managed to find a GP with no issues but was told that she may have to wait up to three years to see a dentist. She ended up paying to see a private dentist.
The government stressed that it was increasing funding to improve NHS dental provision and reviewing the NHS dental system.
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