Health Watchdog Report Highlights Dental Access Problems in Lancashire

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A report compiled by a health watchdog has highlighted problems with accessing NHS dental services in parts of Lancashire.

The ‘Your Dentist, Your Say’ report, which was put together by Healthwatch Lancashire, shows that there is a shortage of dentists in some parts of the country, making it difficult for patients to register with an NHS dental practice.

The survey findings, which were released just before Christmas, suggest that a quarter of people in Lancaster are not registered with a local private or NHS surgery. Lancaster rates among the worst affected areas, but issues are not confined to the city, with around 19 percent of residents across the county currently without a dentist.

In response to the publication of the report, Councillor Colin Hartley from Heysham has called for residents to consult their local MP in a bid to increase the number of dentists working in Lancashire and improve access to local services.

The survey involved around 1,000 adults in the county and was designed to provide NHS England with information about local dental services and how people would prefer to register with a new practice.

NHS England has confirmed that the findings of the report have already proved beneficial, as the opening times of a new surgery in Lancaster have been altered to accommodate more patients.

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