NHS England to boost dental capacity in Cumbria
Representatives from NHS England have vowed to boost dental service capacity in Cumbria amid a shortage of dental appointments.
At a recent meeting of Cumbria County Council’s health scrutiny committee, senior primary care manager, Pauline Fletcher, outlined plans to increase capacity and plug gaps. Since the start of the pandemic, a small number of practices have handed NHS contracts back and patients have been struggling to see a dentist.
Ms Fletcher provided an update, stressing that the NHS is currently working to finalise plans to find alternative providers to take on the contracts. Work is also underway to address historical access issues in the worst-affected areas, including Copeland.
One of the main barriers facing NHS England care managers and commissioners is a shortage of staff. It is notoriously difficult to fill positions in more rural areas, as most dentists choose to work either in the towns and cities they are from or those where they went to university.
Despite the challenges posed by Covid-19 and recruitment problems, which are affecting practices across the UK, Ms Fletcher confirmed that NHS England is looking to invest £1.2 million in local dental services in the area, which equates to over 40,000 units of dental activity. Managers are particularly keen to target areas where practices have handed contracts back or there are long-standing issues. Copeland has been highlighted as a priority for additional investment.
During the meeting, Healthwatch Cumbria presented a new report, ‘West Cumbria Dental Practice Service Report,’ which includes the findings of a survey conducted between May 27th and June 29th 2021. The poll showed that most people have not seen a dentist in the last two years and over 20% of residents travel further than 21 miles to go to the dentist.
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