Patients in Cornwall left without a dentist
Dental patients in Cornwall have been left without a dentist.
Residents in Lostwithiel recently received an email informing them that they would not be able to access NHS services due to the departure of one of the dentists at the local surgery. The email confirmed that the dentist had left the surgery to work in an NHS hospital and said that it had not yet been possible to fill the vacant position.
As all of the remaining NHS dentists at the practice are working at full capacity, patients who were previously seen by the dentist who has left the practice will not be able to make appointments until further notice.
Gemma Louise Jelbert is one of those affected by the announcement. She has attended the practice for several years with her son and daughter, who are 6 and 11 years old respectively. Now, the family has been left without an NHS dentist at very short notice with no option but to go without NHS dental care or pay for private treatment. There are no available new patient NHS places in the area and Gemma said that she can’t afford private fees. The family was quoted £48 per person for a check-up by the practice.
A spokesperson for NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly said that the NHS is working tirelessly to try to improve access to NHS services in the region. Recruitment issues are a national problem, with practices across the country struggling to find NHS dentists.
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