An assessment of dental needs is being carried out to tackle the ‘biggest health inequality’ the Isle of Wight faces.
Following a report from Healthwatch, which found almost half of Islanders are struggling to get dental treatment, NHS South East has commissioned an oral needs assessment across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
What will be assessed
It started last month and will look at the existing dental services on the Island, population and deprivation data and travel links.
The assessment is expected to be completed early next year and hopes to build services into the gaps found in the six months following the outcome of the assessment.
Cross: Recruitment and retention a problem
Talking to the Isle of Wight Council, Alison Cross, NHS England’s senior dental commissioning manager for the South East, said the commissioning of new services would ensure they are the right ones being put into the right places for the right people.
The problem they face, however, Ms Cross said, is the recruitment and retention of dentists to the Island.
She said,
“As a commissioning team, we cannot help with recruitment but the national team has been made aware of it and there will be a national drive to get dentists to come to the smaller areas.
“Whatever we do, if we commission services then we need to ensure dentists can work under them. The money is there but it is not being utilised as the dentists cannot deliver it.”
One of biggest issues Islanders are concerned about
Joanna Smith, Healthwatch Isle of Wight manager, said it was one of the biggest issues Islanders are concerned about.
Leader of the Isle of Wight Council, Cllr Lora Peacey-Wilcox said she was putting major faith in Ms Cross that she could do something about it.
Peacey-Wilcox: Chasing since 2006
Cllr Peacey-Wilcox said she had been chasing the issue since 2006, and since then the Island has had fewer and fewer NHS dentists.
She said,
“We have people mending their teeth with superglue and children that have never seen a dentist.
“I hope we are going to think outside the box and when you do come up with a solution we can have a dedicated team – it will be too overwhelming for our dentists to catch up.
“We are going to have to think differently as the backlog is so severe.”
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is part of. Read here to find about more about how that scheme works on the Island. Some alterations and additions may have been made by News OnTheWight. Ed
Image: Caroline LM under CC BY 2.0
