Patients queued from 5am for Dentaid’s mobile clinic in Suffolk
Patients in Suffolk queued from 5am to see a dentist last month.
Dentaid, a charity, which has stepped in to try to plug gaps in the county, held two mobile clinics in February. The first, in Leiston, attracted crowds from the early hours, with the first patients turning up just before 5am.
Leiston currently has no dental surgeries after both the practices in the town closed. Patients have been struggling to get appointments throughout the pandemic and many have been unable to get the care they need. The Dentaid mobile van visited Leiston and Bury St Edmunds, providing free dental services via its team of volunteers.
Dentaid is known for its charity work abroad, but it does also provide support in the UK. The charity has worked in parts of West Yorkshire and Suffolk before and it is also involved in outreach projects for the homeless and those living in rural communities.
One patient who arrived early to maximise the chances of getting an appointment in Leiston was Danny Goodchild. Danny had been in pain for a long time due to an infected tooth.
He had tried several times to get an appointment but was unsuccessful. He developed an abscess and an ear infection but was still not able to get an emergency dental appointment. He said he couldn’t believe that it had come to patients having treatment in a car park because they can’t access NHS services, but stressed that he was very grateful to the Dentaid team.
Jill Harding, from Dentaid, said that the charity is hitting the roads to provide outreach support for patients who are struggling to access appointments.
The demand has surged during the pandemic and there are many people who have dental infections and severe toothache. The team is used to being on the road and the charity is well-placed to deliver services in car parks and other accessible community locations.
For more news click here.
Join this Discussion