Scottish Government accused of 'intolerable negligence'
The Scottish Dental Association welcomes further debate in the Scottish Parliament on the challenges facing NHS dentistry.
Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie, who will lead Wednesday's debate, revealed an example of traveling to India for dental treatment and performing “DIY dentistry” using tools purchased from Amazon, and the SNP government accused of “intolerable neglect”.
BDA's own recent research found that 83% of Scottish dentist respondents had treated patients who had undertaken some form of DIY dental treatment since lockdown.
Some reforms to the unreliable low-margin, high-volume production system that NHS dentists are grappling with will be introduced in November 2023. The system has been in crisis for a generation, but proved unviable during the pandemic. Faced with rising costs, some healthcare providers have been forced to provide some NHS treatment at a financial loss.
BDA was looking to make a decisive break from this system and move to a patient-centered, prevention-focused model of care. The Scottish Government refused to break the overall framework. The BDA stresses that this should be the beginning, not the end, of the reform path, and that access, outcomes and inequalities need to be closely monitored.
Charlotte Waite, Director of the British Dental Association of Scotland, said: “This crisis in health services is causing desperate patients to take matters into their own hands or head overseas to seek the care they deserve in their own communities.
“The Scottish Government announced a number of reforms in November. Only time will tell whether they are enough to turn the tide and ensure that those who want and need NHS care can get it. Become.”