NHS England gathering information to improve dental services on the Isle of Wight
NHS England in the South East is gathering information as part of a review into dental services in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Health bosses have commissioned a review, following research conducted by Healthwatch, which suggested that almost 50% of Islanders are finding it difficult to access dental care. The review will be used to highlight issues and identify solutions to improve provision in the future.
The review was launched in September and is expected to be completed by early 2022. The primary focus is to analyse existing services to outline areas for improvement.
It is hoped that the findings will facilitate changes and improve access to dental services in the region within 6 months of the completion of the report.
The review is underway at a time when services are under intense pressure. Recently, it was confirmed that practices on the island had pulled out of a national scheme designed to boost capacity using extra funding.
NHS England senior dental commissioning manager for the South East, Alison Cross, revealed that practices had withdrawn from the scheme due to staff being drained and exhausted.
Ms Cross added that there was an opportunity for the practices to join the scheme later. The clinics had agreed to provide additional hours to increase the number of appointments available to patient.
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