Neil Bibby MSP: Health service access is top voter priority

The by-election – triggered by Martin McCluskey’s resignation as a councillor after becoming our area’s new MP – will see voters in the Gourock area go to the polls next Thursday, November 7. 

Like elsewhere in Inverclyde, concerns about bus services have been raised with me but so too have concerns regarding access to local health services.

In particular issues have been raised with me about local dental services which are not meeting the needs of local people – and that’s putting it lightly.

As the Telegraph reported this week, none of the area’s 11 dental practices are currently accepting new NHS patients.

This means that local people who have not yet registered with a dentist and who cannot afford private care have nowhere to go in their council area.

This is an appalling development and some of the most disadvantaged members of our community are now being forced to make an impossible choice.

Inverclyde residents currently have to travel to Renfrewshire for NHS dental treatment if they aren't already registered with a local practice. (Image: Getty Images) Either they go without dental treatment altogether, or they must make a round trip of 30-odd miles to Renfrewshire to get the services they need.

And with train fares having risen drastically in recent weeks, those forced to travel for treatment could face a big double whammy.

But the depressing reality is that Inverclyde is just one of six Scottish council areas with a dental service in crisis.

Local councils and NHS services across the country have been subjected to repeated Scottish Government budget cuts in recent years.

This has left many health boards unable to provide proper health and dental care to their communities and an unacceptable number of people in need.

Access to dental care is vital for anyone to live a healthy and happy life, and the Scottish Government must do more to ensure that it is available to everyone in Inverclyde and beyond – quickly.