Inverclyde patients face 36 mile trip for NHS dentist

People in the area who are not currently signed up to an NHS dentist and who can't afford to pay privately are being faced with a 36-mile round trip for dental treatment.

The are is one of a growing number of 'dental deserts' across Scotland.

The crisis was heightened by the closure in June of 'My Dentist' in Greenock's George Square.

READ MORE: NHS dental crisis deepens in Inverclyde as Greenock dentist closes down

There are now 11 NHS dentists in Greenock, including an orthodontist-only practice, but all are full and aren't adding new patients to their waiting list.

According to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the nearest surgeries open to Inverclyde patients are all in Renfrewshire.

Inverclyde MP Martin McCluskey is demanding an urgent meeting with health officials to come up with an action plan.

He said: "“It is entirely unacceptable that – once again – people in Inverclyde are being asked to accept an inferior health service than in other parts of the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.

"I have asked for an urgent meeting with the health board to establish the timelines for the work they are undertaking and how they can ensure the oral health of people across Inverclyde.

“I first raised concerns about NHS dentistry as a councillor, but things appear to be getting worse and not better."

Martin McCluskey MP branded the current situation around NHS dental services in Inverclyde unacceptable. (Image: George Munro) The dental crisis in Inverclyde has deepened since the Covid pandemic, with more patients forced to go private.

The MP added: “Dentistry across Scotland is in crisis, and in Inverclyde we have the appalling situation that there are no NHS dentists available.

"The blame for this lies squarely with the Scottish Government, who have presided over years of decline in dentistry and who have ignored the warnings of dentists and patients.

“What my enquiries with the health board have revealed is that the nearest dentist that is currently taking on NHS patients is 18 miles from Greenock, in Linwood.

"That means a 36-mile round trip for routine dental appointments. Once again, patients in Inverclyde are being asked to accept the unacceptable and travel to Paisley for treatment.

"We need clarity from both the health board and the Scottish Government about what they are doing to reverse this crisis in Inverclyde."

Greater Glasgow and Clyde say that they are looking at proposals for a weekend emergency service locally.

Inverclyde has also been included as a Scottish Dental Access Initiative with grant funding available to set up and support an NHS practice.

Mr McCluskey said: "The proposals for both a weekend emergency service and the access to the Scottish Dental Access Initiative need more detail. What are the timelines for these projects, and how long will patients in our area be expected to wait for treatment?"

Councillor Francesca Brennan, the chair of the social work and social care scrutiny panel at Inverclyde Council, and now a member of the Inverclyde Integrated Joint Board, called the situation "a scandal".

Francesca Brennan says there's a responsibility gap when it comes to finding solutions. (Image: George Munro) She said: "We seem to have reached a point where we are supposed to accept the removal of the basic treatments we should reasonably expect to access but the situation is simply not good enough for Inverclyde.

"It is a scandal that people here are unable to get NHS dental appointments at a local practice. There seems to be something of a responsibility gap for taking this issue to the heart of the government and identifying solutions that work for local people and those who provide dental services."

But Inverclyde MSP Stuart McMillan says both he and the Scottish Government are taking action.

He says that while the Scottish Government has responsibility the problem it is made worse because of a backlog in overseas graduates getting passed UK government exams. 

Mr McMillan says he has also been reassured that there are more students about to graduate from Scottish dental schools in the coming years.

He said: “I am very much aware of the challenges that many of my constituents continue to face in trying to register as an NHS patient with a local dentist.

“That is why I invited the Public Health Minister to the area to visit Weir and McClafferty Dental Care in Gourock to hear direct from dentists about the problems their sector are encountering, and I have met with My Dentist and the British Dental Association recently.

Stuart McMillan MSP insisted that dialogue was ongoing between the Scottish Government and dental professionals. (Image: George Munro) “Some of the issues facing NHS Dentistry are for the Scottish Government to look to solve, and I recognise that the recent changes to NHS payments is just the beginning of reform.

"I am therefore pleased that dialogue between government officials and the sector is ongoing so further improvements can be made."

A health board spokesperson said: "We recognise the challenges new or unregistered patients face in accessing NHS general dental services (GDS) in the Inverclyde HSCP area.

"Currently, there are 11 practices with NHS listed dentists in Inverclyde, including one orthodontic practice that provides only specialist treatment, however none of these are accepting new NHS patients at this time.

"NHSGGC understand the pressures faced by GDS including recruitment and retention of staff, which is an issue affecting the wider dental profession. We are continually reviewing options to improve services in this area. 

"The Oral Health Directorate is working with Inverclyde HSCP colleagues to enhance local emergency dental care.

"Following completion of a successful pilot one day per week at Greenock Health and Care Centre for emergency care of both registered and unregistered patients, they are now scoping the potential for a weekend emergency service at the same location.

"We also remind unregistered patients that they can access emergency dental care during the day at the Emergency Dental Treatment Centre in the Glasgow Dental Hospital.

"Both registered and unregistered patients can also access emergency care through the out-of-hours service via NHS24."

The Inverclyde crisis is mirrored in Argyll and Bute, Dumfries and Galloway, Orkney, Perth and Kinross, and Shetland, where no practices are currently taking on new adult NHS patients.

David McColl, chair of the British Dental Association's Scottish dental practice committee, said:  “The simple facts are many patients are unable to access NHS care, while practices have vacancies they can’t fill. It's two sides of the same coin.

“Scotland needs a 21st century service in which dentists would choose to build a career, ready to shift the focus from treatment to prevention.”