Health / You will be seen in an emergency – NHS reassures local patients after damning report into provision of dental services
EMERGENCY DENTAL care continues to be “always available” to anybody who require to be seen urgently, NHS Shetland has insisted.
The local health board responded after a UK-wide investigation by the BBC revealed that nine in 10 NHS dental practices were not accepting new adult patients for treatment under the national health service.
In Scotland, 18 per cent of dentists are taking on new NHS patients, still only about two in 10, but this is significantly better than the rest of the UK.
According to the national broadcaster in Shetland 75 per cent of practices (three out of four) with NHS contracts are not taking on any new adult NHS patients.
The contract of how independent dentist practices are being paid for NHS work is different in Scotland compared to England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In a statement issued on Monday afternoon, NHS Shetland said the number of patients under the care of the public dental service “has always been disproportionately large and access has always been a long-term challenge for any remote and rural community”.
The statement continued: “NHS services across the whole country are straining with the backlog of treatment requirements as well as ongoing patient needs. Dental services are no different.
“The effect of Covid has added to this problem. Long term plans are also being pursed to increase access to dental services across the whole of the community. However, these plans will take time to agree and implement.
“The public dental service is always available for emergency care (pain, infection, trauma, or any worrying patch in the mouth) for those who are not registered at any other dental practice.
“Patients who require to be seen urgently will always be cared for by the public dental service.”
Meanwhile, Scottish Labour has called for a review of the system of payments for dental services.
The party’s deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “The health secretary has been warned about this many times yet he has taken no action.
“It’s clear that the dental health of thousands of Scots is at risk of going untreated.
“We can’t allow SNP inaction to create a two-tier dental system in Scotland which leaves those most in need behind.”
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