Patients struggling to find a dentist in Tunbridge Wells
None of the NHS dental practices in Tunbridge Wells are taking on new patients, it has been revealed.
A reporter from local paper, The Courier, tried to book an appointment at over 30 practices in the area but was told that none of the Tunbridge Wells practices were taking on new patients at the moment. The reporter was given a glimmer of hope from Oasis Dental Care who said that their books would be reopening in a couple of months.
Stephen Ingram, director of primary care at NHS West Kent, said that the trust had invested over 3 million pounds in recent years to improve access to NHS dental services. However, he admitted that it would be a challenge to reach the target of providing NHS care to 54 percent of the local population. The money already invested in the area will provide an additional 40,000 dental places but this will still not be enough to provide treatment for every patient. Mr Ingram said that the trust received less funding than the national average and for this reason, the target was unachievable at the present time.
Appointments were available at short notice in other areas of the district and several surgeries were accepting new patients; the trust is advising patients to make the short journey from Tunbridge Wells in order to see a dentist quickly; they hope to improve access to services in Tunbridge Wells as soon as possible.
Join this Discussion
i had the same problem i knocked a tooth out and could not be reinserted because i could find a dentist in time and because i was told to come in by one surgery and that they were accepting nhs patients but when i arrived they said they were not and she didn’t know how i had been told they were i was fuming, i know have a large gap at the front of my mouth and because of my anxiety issues i feel unable to leave the house, its not fair we pay are tax!!!!!