Leigh patients claim it is ‘impossible’ to find a dentist
Residents in Leigh claim that it is virtually ‘impossible’ to find a dentist.
One patient said that they had called 25 dental practices in the region, many of which were only accepting new private patients. The resident was quoted £800 for treatment to fix one tooth.
Local watchdog, Healthwatch Wigan and Leigh, recently compiled a report for the Health and Scrutiny Committee at Wigan Council. The report revealed that there has been a significant increase in the number of complaints related to dental access and local dental services. The group has been working with partners across the North West, with most bodies experiencing similar issues. Patients across the UK are struggling to get appointments, even for emergency care.
A spokesperson for Healthwatch Greater Manchester said that access to NHS dentistry is the most common reason people are contacting watchdogs at the moment. Patients across the region are trying to find dental practices that are taking on NHS patients or offering appointments, but they come up against barriers time and time again. There are not enough NHS places to go round and waiting times are increasing.
Healthwatch groups and local dental committees are working together to ensure that vulnerable patients have access to care, but there are growing concerns about the impact of a lack of dental provision for those who are not classed as vulnerable. People are suffering with dental issues, and the longer patients cannot access routine services and non-urgent treatment, the higher the risks in the future.
One patient, whose case was featured in the Healthwatch report, said that they had seen an emergency dentist after developing severe pain. The patient had a temporary filling fitted and was advised to arrange to see a dentist to have a permanent filling to fix the problem. The patient called over 20 local dental practices, but none of them were able to help. The only option offered to the resident was to pay for private care at a cost of £800.
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