Thousands still waiting for an NHS dentist in Cumbria

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Figures released by Cumbria Primary Care Trust have revealed that ten thousand people have been waiting for an NHS dentist for longer than 20 months in Cumbria.

The figures show that 29,537 people on the waiting list have been allocated an NHS dental place; however, there are still 9811 people waiting for a dentist. In 2009 the Primary Care Trust promised to allocate every person on the waiting list a place by the end of 2010; however, they have not managed to achieve this and thousands of people are still without a dentist.

Local MP, Tim Farron said that the situation needed to be resolved quickly in order to enable patients in Cumbria to see an NHS dentist; Mr Farron said he could not understand why Cumbria was lagging behind other areas of the North West and urged Cumbria Primary Care Trust to take action to improve the situation as quickly as possible.

David Tyson, lead commissioner for NHS Cumbria, said that Cumbria had struggled with access to dental services for many years and investment has been made to try and ameliorate the situation. In the last two years, the PCT has created thousands of dental places in the area and efforts are being made to ensure that all those on the waiting list are allocated an NHS dental place as quickly as possible; over the course of the next few years, 60,000 places will be made available in Cumbria.

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