Hampshire councillor calls for urgent improvements to dental access after waiting a year for an appointment
A councillor from Hampshire County Council has called for urgent improvements to dental access after waiting almost a year for an appointment.
Andy Tree, an independent councillor for Whitehill, Bordon and Lindon, called to make an appointment last autumn and he is still waiting to see a dentist. When he rang recently to inquire about the waiting time, he was informed that he could get a private dental appointment within a week.
Cllr Tree believes that many people are in the same boat, with practices prioritising private patients. A lack of NHS appointments will leave hundreds of Hampshire patients without access to care, he warned, as many people cannot afford to pay for private dentistry.
Speaking about his experience, Cllr Tree said that he had been waiting to see a dentist since the autumn but was told recently that he could make a private appointment within a few days. He is concerned that if patients are unable to see an NHS dentist or pay for private care, standards of oral health will undoubtedly deteriorate.
According to NHS England, practices in the county are currently operating at 95% capacity after limits were introduced to stem the spread of Covid-19 during the pandemic.
Closures and long periods of restrictions have created a significant backlog, which could take a long time to clear.
Alison Cross, from NHS England, admitted that some practices in the region are “underperforming” but stressed that there was very little that could be done at the moment without increased funding and recruitment.
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