NHS FAILING TO PROVIDE DENTISTS
A massive shortage of NHS dentists in Kirklees has left local
people struggling to find treatment. People in severe pain are being advised to
attend already overburdened, and under threat A&E departments (as long as
they are still open).
The Dentists own association blame the complicated contracts and
NHS mismanagement of Dentistry. Unfortunately Dentistry offers an insight into
what the Governments vision is for the NHS, underfunding leading to a
privatised sector growing due to lack of NHS provision. Long waiting lists
growing and local services removed will force people into looking to buy either
full provision, or queue jumping. No one can blame parents desperate to look
after their child or children looking out for their parents. Dentistry should
be guaranteed as a mainstream NHS service.
A patients’ group has claimed that the
NHS is failing to offer fair access to dentists in Kirklees.
Healthwatch Kirklees boss has admitted deep frustration with the service
after 12 months of failing to convince NHS England to change its approach to
address what the community needs.
The patients’ rights charity’s research has found that just over half of
adults in Kirklees (57%) have seen an NHS dentist in the last two years – which
surprisingly is above the England average.
It revealed that pockets of the district have a chronic shortage in NHS dentists
the whole system for finding and accessing NHS dentistry appears to be broken.
“The model isn’t right,” they say, “it’s not working for the benefit of
the patients.”
The Healthwatch team’s research found that merely finding out which
dentists were accepting new NHS patients was virtually impossible. They say the
NHS Choices website should detail all the NHS dentists in Kirklees and who’s
taking on new patients it does not.
