Dental waiting times have led to Scots travelling abroad
The Scottish Lib Dems have accused the SNP of the “excruciating neglect” of dentistry in Scotland after finding that people are going abroad and attempting DIY procedures with tools bought from Amazon.
MSP Willie Rennie has suggested things must change after speaking to constituents about their experience of NHS dental care in Scotland.
After speaking to more than 300 people, the MSP for North East Fife was alarmed to find that people on NHS waiting lists for treatment were taking matters into their own hands.
One respondent reportedly flew to Goa in India to receive treatment from a dentist who had ironically been trained in Dundee.
There was also a respondent who had bought dental tools from Amazon to remove dental calculus after waiting on an NHS list for four years.
Willie Rennie said: “These devastating stories expose the SNP’s excruciating neglect of NHS dentistry. No matter how much pain you are in, seeing a dentist in Scotland is harder than ever before.
“Scottish Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for toothcare to be universally accessible, just like any kind of healthcare. We were the party that was instrumental in bringing forward free dental checks in Scotland and establishing a new dental school to address workforce shortages.
“But this SNP-Green Government is unpicking all that good work. Last year, they blocked our common-sense proposals which would have boosted access to dentistry for everyone.
“If the SNP keep refusing to listen, NHS dentistry could vanish from Scotland.
“This time, I sincerely hope that the government does the right thing and backs our motion, which would see ministers rewrite their failed NHS Recovery Plan to prioritise workforce planning and boost the number of dentists taking on NHS patients.
“That is how we will enable everyone to be seen and guarantee comprehensive treatment at the point of need in every community.”
There has been a concern across Scotland about the rise in DIY dentistry
According to a survey by the British Dental Association, 83% of dentists in Scotland have said they had treated a patient who had attempted to perform some kind of DIY dentistry since lockdown.
There is a concern that the rise in dentists going private may exacerbate the situation, a Health and Social Care Committee report into NHS dentistry found that those living in deprivation were finding it the most difficult to access dental services.
One of Mr Rennie’s respondents had said that they had to go to Turkey for check-up and treatments after their local practice in Scotland of 25 years stopped doing NHS treatment.
Another had spent almost £400 on private treatment and had said that it had left them short of cash and they had gone without food so their son could eat.
Charlotte Waite, Director of British Dental Association Scotland, said: “The crisis in this service has seen desperate patients take matters into their own hands or head overseas for care that should be available in their own communities.
“The Scottish Government unveiled some reforms back in November. Time will tell if it’s enough to turn the tide, so those who want and need NHS care can secure it.”
The Scottish Lib Dems will lead a debate tomorrow in Holyrood seeking to address a rise in waiting times that has led to people taking drastic actions.
