Lincolnshire patients struggle as NHS dentist access remains ‘not good enough’
Lincolnshire NHS dentists have been told to make 12,000 extra emergency appointments available to combat the county’s reputation as a dental desert.
Councillors this week described access to dentists as “just not good enough”.
The government says that access to NHS dentistry is becoming a “lottery” and has told Lincolnshire’s healthcare providers to arrange 700,000 extra appointments.
Places with the worst scarcity and highest level of unmet needs, such as Lincolnshire, are being given the highest priority.
A health committee at Lincolnshire County Council this week heard about the challenges people face in getting an appointment.
Coun Tom Smith (Con) said: “My mother has not been able to see a dentist for so long because she hasn’t been able to afford it.
“She now, sadly, has an issue that is beyond repair.
“In the fifth richest country in the world, that’s not on. It could lead to quite a serious operation.
“It’s not good enough for anyone’s mother, girlfriend or anyone else.”
A report from the meeting shows that Lincoln, Boston and the East Coast have the lowest levels of access to an NHS dentist.
A Pinchbeck pensioner earlier this week revealed how he has been living with dental pain for years as he—like 75% of Lincolnshire’s population—struggles to access an NHS dentist and cannot afford private treatment.
A national survey of patients found that one in four people who tried to see a dentist in the past two years were unable to do so.
Jason Wong, chief dental officer for England, said: “Dentists are working hard to help as many patients as possible, but too many people experience difficulties in accessing NHS dental services.
“It is vital that we do more to improve access. We are working with local systems to prioritise this, which includes providing 700,000 additional urgent dental appointments to help make it quicker and easier for those most in need to be seen and treated on the NHS.
“We are also incentivising dentists to work in underserved areas so that all parts of the country can receive the care they need.”
