![]() |
|
Two-thirds 'go without a dentist' By Daniel Martin, Health Reporter - Daily Mail, March 28, 2007 Two-thirds of dental patients are going without treatment because they are unable to find an NHS dentist and cannot afford to go private, according to a damning report today. Citizens' Advice said many face a postcode lottery over the availability of care, with 'unacceptably long waiting lists and expensive journeys' to reach a dentist. More than 2 million are unable to get treatment on the Health Service, leading hundreds of thousands to seek private care - with some taking on crippling bank loans to pay for it. The survey found that 65% simply went without treatment if they could not find a local NHS dentist. Citizens' Advice, which runs bureau throughout the country, asked more than 4,000 men and women whether they could get an NHS dentist. More than three-quarters said dentists in their area were only accepting private patients and a third complained that waiting lists for NHS dentists were too long. One primary care trust even told a respondent: "Having an NHS dentist should be viewed as an aspiration rather than a reality." Citizens' Advice chief executive David Harker said: "It is not acceptable that so many people are still going without a dental care, putting not only their health but often the health of their families at risk." If you have suggestions for additional subjects, or material to include in the pages linked to the subjects listed, please contact the webmaster. |
|