Scottish public health minister admits dental waiting times are ‘completely unacceptable’
Public health minister, Joe Fitzpatrick, has admitted that waiting times for dental treatment in Scotland are “completely unacceptable.”
Mr Fitzpatrick was quizzed about information published by the Liberal Democrats, which revealed that over 1,000 people were waiting over 12 weeks for hospital treatment.
Since 2014, there has been a five-fold increase in the number of people waiting for longer than 12 weeks in Grampian, and the number of patients waiting in Highland is now ten times higher than it was five years ago. More than 1,000 people are waiting longer than the target time frame across the country.
The British Dental Association attributed the increase in waiting times and patient numbers to a shortage of consultants and a general deterioration in oral health that was linked to missing out on routine dental appointments.
Mr Fitzpatrick said that he was aware that some patients are waiting for treatment, but admitted that the scale of the problem was unacceptable, especially in complex and “challenging” cases, for example, patients with additional needs and children who are enduring pain. Despite the figures, Mr Fitzpatrick said that he was confident that the government’s £850 million dental plan would improve the situation and enable patients who need hospital treatment to undergo treatment sooner.
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