Isle of Wight Conservative MP, Bob Seely, says he is seeking government assistance to tackle the ongoing dental access issues on the Island.
He has written a letter asking Health Secretary Steve Barclay to address an acute shortfall in NHS dental provision.
Dental crisis
As has been well reported over the last couple of years, the lack of dentists has led to long waiting times for treatment for Islanders.
Currently, there are no dental practitioners accepting new NHS patients on the Island, meaning patients must travel to the mainland or miss out on vital dental care.
Long waits for check ups
Healthwatch research reveals the severity of the problem, with Islanders experiencing debilitating and painful symptoms.
However, the Island has struggled to attract NHS dentists, leading to waits of between three months and two years for check-ups.
Seely’s ideas
Mr Seely proposes a series of steps to solve the recruitment issue.
These include launching a dental training scheme, making it easier to recruit overseas dentists, and allowing more treatments without a prescription.
MP’s ideas included in national approach
The MP’s suggestions regarding overseas dentists will be included in the Department for Health and Social Care’s national approach to tackle dental staff shortages.
He urges the Government to consider his proposed initiatives to improve NHS dental provision on the Isle of Wight.
