Lothian MSP raises concerns over NHS dental place shortages
The MSP for Lothian, Sarah Boyack, has raised concerns over a shortage of NHS dental places in the Musselburgh area.
Ms Boyack decided to contact local practices after receiving calls and emails from a number of constituents who were finding it difficult to see a dentist. She was told that most of the practices had no places. Those that were accepting new NHS patients had a waiting list, with no appointments available for at least six months.
Ms Boyack, from the Scottish Labour party, said that more than 75% of the practices she called had no space for new NHS patients and criticised the government for failing to prevent a ‘two-tier’ system. She stated that the SNP had let patients down and urged them to act immediately to improve the situation and allow more people to take advantage of local NHS services. Currently, people are unable to see an NHS dentist and most cannot afford to pay for private dental care, especially during the cost of living crisis.
Ms Boyack’s office contacted around 20 dental practices in Musselburgh and the surrounding area at the beginning of May 2023.
Jenny Long, director of primary care at NHS Lothian, said that the trust was ‘acutely aware’ of the situation, which is impacting practices across Scotland and the rest of the UK. The Chief Dental Officer for Scotland is currently conducting a review of NHS dental services but practices are facing significant challenges. It has become increasingly difficult to recruit and retain NHS dentists and most practices are dealing with substantial backlogs in the wake of the Covid pandemic.
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