Dental Shortage In Isle Of Man Leads To Long Waiting Lists
A shortage of dentists has caused waiting times in the Isle of Man to increase, according to the Department of Health. Patients are waiting longer for routine check-ups because there are not enough dentists on the islands.
Health minister, David Anderson, said the department was working hard to increase recruitment on the island to tackle the waiting lists. However, there have been problems with long-term illness and difficulties in the recruitment process.
Children will be seen by dentists as normal, but ministers warned that adults may face a wait for non-urgent treatment. Patients who are already undergoing treatment will finish as planned.
Mr Anderson said the situation would not be easy to resolve, but the department is working hard to ease and address problems.
The department is currently looking into ways to try and reduce waiting times and improve access to dental care. Proposed measures include extending opening hours, more locum services and changes to the recruitment process.
Mr Anderson will be meeting with ministers to discuss the ideas in the near future. Information about the future of the NHS dental services on the island will be made available to the public as soon as possible.
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