New Measures to Tackle Poor Access to NHS Dental Care in Cornwall
New measures designed to improve access to dental care have been introduced in Cornwall after a health watchdog found that hundreds of people are struggling to get routine treatment.
Almost half of the people who replied to a survey run by Healthwatch Cornwall were not registered with an NHS dentist and the main reason for this was lack of access. Many patients said that they would be forced to travel a long distance if they wanted to see an NHS dentist, while others mentioned that there were not enough places at their local surgeries.
In response to the situation, the NHS has now launched a new scheme to improve access to NHS dental treatment and enable more people to see a dentist without waiting or facing a long journey. The new measures will include extended opening hours.
The survey focused on the towns on the Devon/Cornwall border and found that some areas, including Bude and Liskeard, were particularly bad in terms of access.
One respondent, 62 year old Chris Hancock from St Austell, said that he could not face the prospect of a journey to Liskeard for routine care and had adopted the more “radical approach” of visiting emergency dentists to have teeth removed.
NHS England confirmed that opening hours would be extended at a clinic in Liskeard and GP practices in the region will also be sent leaflets and updated information about dental services to pass on to patients.
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