Patients waiting up to 2 years to see a dentist in some parts of East Yorkshire
Patients are waiting up to two years to see a dentist in some parts of East Yorkshire.
Local MPs and councillors in Beverley and Holderness have raised concerns over access to NHS dental services after being informed that some residents were facing a two-year wait for treatment.
MP for Beverley and Holderness, Graham Stuart, met with NHS representatives recently to discuss the issue and said that he would continue to work to try to improve access and reduce waiting times. Cllr Lyn Healing, from South East Holderness, suggested that people in the area had been told to wait 24 months to get an appointment locally.
An NHS spokesperson suggested that NHS contract reforms, which were unveiled earlier this year, would help to improve the situation, but it could take some time before patients are able to access routine care without any delays or obstacles.
A study conducted by the Association of Dental Groups (ADG) revealed that East Yorkshire is one of twenty ‘dental deserts’ in the country. On average, the areas have 32 dentists per 100,000 people.
Mr Stuart said that he had spoken to Emma Wilson, head of dental commissioning for the NHS in Yorkshire, at a recent meeting. He explained that he was aware of growing issues related to access and suggested that he would continue to work with NHS colleagues to bring waiting times down and increase local NHS capacity.
Patients across the UK are finding it difficult to get NHS dental appointments amid a national shortage of NHS dentists. Around 3,000 NHS dentists have retired, left the NHS or swapped careers since 2020, according to the British Dental Association. There are also significant treatment backlogs in the aftermath of the pandemic.
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