Powys pensioner faced with 100-mile trip to see a dentist
A pensioner from Powys is travelling 100 miles to see a dentist because there are no appointments available closer to home.
Dafydd Williams, 73, lives in Newtown but has to travel to Telford in Shropshire to see a dentist. Mr Williams has lived in the area for 20 years and said that it’s virtually impossible to find a local practice that is accepting new patients. He attends check-ups twice a year but every time he goes to the dentist, he loses a day. If he has to go back after a routine appointment for further care, it’s another 100-mile round trip.
Powys was one of ten councils that had no available adult NHS places when the BBC carried out research into NHS dental access in the summer of 2022. Nationally, around 90% of UK practices were not taking on new adult NHS patients.
Mr Williams said that he was “angry” about the situation because it was an upheaval to travel so far to attend appointments.
The British Dental Association has criticised a recent move by the Welsh Government, which incentivises practices to take on new patients. While this may be beneficial for patients who are trying to find a dentist, patients who are already registered are suffering, according to the BDA.
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