Dentistry
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NHS dentistry is all but unobtainable for adult patients who would not be entitled to NHS treatment. The service was withdrawn practice by practice (including my own in Rugby) long before the service failure attracted national publicity. From April 2006 primary care trusts became responsible for commissioning dental services. As previously NHS dentists were free to register as many patients as they liked and expected to provide any treatment that was necessary and paid for each item of service, commissioning activity (unless it involves assistance to dentists to set up practices) is effectively a way of limiting an already inadequate service. The orthodontic services have never been satisfactory. Before the new arrangements there were no explicit criteria for treatment, but there was a long waiting list to see an NHS orthodontist. Now NHS orthodontic service is available only to people with seriously deformed teeth, and anyone else who would benefit from teeth being straightened can only get treatment privately. See Sources for references in the BBC in August and September 2006 to dentistry in general and orthodontics in particular. When I was a member of the Patient and Public Involvement Forum working with Rugby PCT, I led on the report in 2006 on NHS dentistry in Rugby. This showed an inadequate service, both for regular NHS treatment and for emergencies (where the contracted out of hours service was in Bedworth two buses from Rugby), and also identified that restrictions were being made that were not permitted under the 2006 contract. |
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Sheila
Porter-Williams |