Gedling councillor raises concerns as thousands face lengthy waits for dental treatment
A councillor on Gedling’s health board has raised concerns, as thousands of people in the area face a lengthy wait for dental treatment.
Councillor Henry Wheeler asked for a report to be compiled after receiving a large number of calls from patients worried about being unable to see a dentist.
Mr Wheeler said that patients are struggling to get appointments and added that local GP surgeries were seeing an increasing number of patients with dental issues.
A report put together by the deputy head of Primary Care East Midlands NHS England and NHS Improvement, Liz Gundel, highlighted the impact of the pandemic, suggesting that practices had struggled to keep up with the demand for treatment.
Numbers are increasing and backlogs are easing, but it could be some time before it’s “business as usual,” according to the report.
After a period of closure during the first lockdown, face-to-face services have returned in all dental clinics but practices are running at a reduced capacity in line with Covid-19 safety guidelines.
This means that dentists can see fewer patients per day than normal. For the moment, routine appointments are limited but health bosses and dental teams are hoping to gradually step up non-urgent services in the coming weeks to accommodate more patients.
The report also revealed that the trust is hoping to increase NHS capacity in Gedling to make it possible for more patients to join practices and book appointments.
Councillor Wheeler said that it was clear that the pandemic had impacted access to dental care but suggested that urgent action was required to facilitate a recovery and prevent dental patients from ending up in GP surgery waiting rooms and A&E departments.
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