The Waterlogged Dental Desert
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- Published: Tuesday, 22 October 2024 09:21
- Written by Peter Ingle
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According to the media, much of the UK is covered in dental deserts, occupied by desperate would be patients unable to obtain appointments, many of whom then resort to DIY dentistry in desperation.
A variety of initiatives are being rolled out in the attempt to improve matters. Anything it seems, that is, apart from developing a new NHS dental contract. A recent story in Nation Cymru shows that the current scatter gun approach has some limitations.
In Gwent about 20% of the urgent access slots funded to try and alleviate the local access crisis are remaining unfilled. In Monmouthshire things are worse with 44% of slots not being taken. As this does not appear to take into account missed appointments, it seems likely that less than half of the Monmouth slots are actually being used to deliver care.
In response the Anuerin Bevan University Health Board, who fund NHS dental care for the area, is considering whether it has assessed the need correctly, or if people are unaware of how they can access the appointments.
It is hoped that a new portal that will act as a central waiting list for dental treatment, will help.
The public will be able to access a central website, on the health board’s site, which will have a helpline for people to register by phone. It will be rolled out across Gwent from November 20th and should raise awareness of the available urgent appointments.
According to the paper, Aneurin Bevan’s primary care director Lloyd Hambridge, said that an increasing number of practices are opting to work under the Welsh Government’s new dental contract rather than the older 2006 contract. Whether the paper has misreported Mr Hambridge, or is repeating some spin, that wording is somewhat misleading.
What is referred to as a ‘new contract’ is effectively a modestly top sliced 2006 contract, with that money reallocated to specific metrics. In this it set the pattern for some English ICB’s local initiatives.
Mr Hambridge said the health board’s view is the new contract means, “the right people are seen at the right time as opposed to a routine element, with people who may not need (a check up) seen on a routine basis.”
Despite this, at present some of that modified contract is paying for surgeries that are empty half of the time they are open. GDPUK has heard that extra access sessions running well under capacity are not restricted to Wales, and will be reporting on the situation in England, and the role of the 111 service.
Image © Steve Van Russelt
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