Low dental patient numbers cause concern in Scotland
The Scottish Government is launching an investigation to determine why patient numbers are so low in parts of Scotland.
Recent figures show that nearly half those living in the North and North East of Scotland are not registered with an NHS dentist. Numbers have been gradually improving over the last few years; however, the statistics show that only 48.6 percent of patients in Grampian and 53.9 percent of patients in Highland are registered with an NHS dental practice.
In contrast to the North and North East, other parts of Scotland boast much more positive numbers, with 75.3 percent of the population in Ayrshire and Arran and 74.8 percent of patients in Lanarkshire registered with an NHs dentist; the national average is 70.1 percent.
Yesterday, Jamie Stone, the Liberal Democrat public health spokesman, said that the government must make efforts to find out why patient numbers are so low in the North and North East of Scotland. The Liberal Democrats have launched free dental health checks, which have been enjoying great success in many parts of the country; however, if people are not registered with a dentist, they cannot make the most of the opportunity and will go without.
Public Health minister, Shona Robinson, admitted that the figures for certain parts of Scotland were worrying; however, she expressed delight with the figures for the majority of Scotland, with both child and adult registrations increasing in the last year. Now, she said, the government must address the poor patient numbers in the North and establish a more level playing field.
The government is trying to improve access to dental services in the North, with several new projects currently in the pipeline. A significant amount of money has already been invested in the region; a new dental school has recently opened in Aberdeen and outreach training centres are up and running in Inverness, Dumfries and Galloway and Aberdeen.
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