A petition calling on the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care, Wes Streeting, to intervene with the planned closure of MyDentist’s Freshwater practice has been gathering pace.
The online petition on the Change.org website has attracted more than 1,000 signatures in the last week, with paper petitions dotted around the area being signed too.
Created by Freshwater resident, Ieuan Jehu, the petition reads:
“Closing the MyDentist surgery will leave a population of around 10,000 people with no access to NHS dental care, making two Dentists, three qualified dental nurses and two support staff – all of whom are local residents – redundant.
“We call upon the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care, Wes Streeting, to pressure the MyDentist group to delay the closure of their Freshwater practice until another company can be found to take over the delivery of NHS dental services in the Freshwater, Yarmouth and Thorley area.”
Ieaun has been in contact with other dental chains to see whether they’d be interested in taking over the practice, but has not heard back yet.
Charlton: “All my teeth are being left to basically rot”
One supporter of the petition, Mary Charlton, adds,
“I am on Universal Credit and can’t afford private treatment so all my teeth are being left to basically rot.”
Sampson: There isn’t much left in Freshwater
Another, Rosemarie Sampson, writes,
“My brother who has downs syndrome uses this dentist. He is able to walk to them and like most people needs to have regular checkups. He isn’t able to go miles to another dental practice.
“There isn’t much left in Freshwater and to take this away before something else can be put in place is terrible.”
Find out more
You can read a more detailed argument from Ieaun on his Letter to the Editor published last month.
He explains the issues that staff at the practice, and residents, are facing.
Paper petitions
If you known someone who isn’t online but would like to support the petition, paper copies can be found at:
- Freshwater Social club
- Freshwater pharmacy
- Freshwater coffee house
- Elliot’s
- Sugar loaf
- The bait shop
- Freshwater Memorial hall
- West Wight Sports & Community centre
- Rainbow Chippy
