Waiting times for outpatient dental treatment increase in Scotland
Waiting times for outpatient dental treatment have increased in Scotland.
Figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats in Scotland show that the average waiting time for outpatient treatment has increased across twelve health boards since 2019. For in-patient and day cases, the average wait has increased across eight health boards.
One patient waited over three years for outpatient treatment while the longest wait for a day case was 146 weeks. This figure is significantly higher than the previous record, which was 67 weeks in 2019.
Data comparing average waiting times in 2019 and 2022 showed that many patients were waiting longer to access treatment, with problems across the country.
In light of the figures, the Liberal Democrats have urged the Scottish Government to increase funding for NHS dentists in Scotland to encourage more practices to boost capacity. Many practices have either reduced NHS capacity or switched to private services in the last three years, which has contributed to access issues.
Alex Cole-Hamilton, leader of the party, accused the SNP of “abandoning NHS dentistry” and said that “Scots are being left in pain.” He called for the government to review the NHS Recovery Plan to incentivise dentists to accept NHS patients and increase funding to reduce waiting times.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said that ministers were working hard to tackle backlogs and ensure that patients get the treatment they need as quickly as possible. Between April and October 2022, dentists completed more than 1.5 million NHS examinations and are on course to hit over 3.5 million appointments by the end of the 2022/2023 financial year.
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