The availability of NHS dental care in North Wales has reached a critical point, with only three dental practices in the region offering treatment to new patients, according to a recent survey by Llyr Gruffydd, the Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd (MS) for North Wales.
The survey, conducted in response to claims by a Labour minister that 11 dentists in the region were taking on NHS patients, revealed that the actual number of practices accepting new NHS patients is alarmingly low. The three practices still offering new NHS treatment are located in Caernarfon, Rhyl, and Colwyn Bay, but all three have long waiting lists, with waits extending to two or three years.
The situation is particularly dire in Wrexham, where several local practices, including Ruabon Road Dental Practice and Dant Y Coed Dental Practice, have handed back their NHS contracts due to increasing pressures. Last year, the Health Board confirmed that all NHS dentists in Wrexham had reached full capacity. More recently, Buckley Dental Practice on Padeswood Road also announced it would be returning its NHS contract, further exacerbating the lack of available dental care in the area.
Mr. Gruffydd has voiced his concerns over the ongoing decline in NHS dental services across North Wales, highlighting that several practices in Llandudno, Buckley, Coedpoeth, and Ynys Môn have ended their NHS contracts due to new contractual conditions imposed by the Welsh Government. Many of these practices have expressed a desire to continue serving their communities but have found it increasingly difficult to maintain a high standard of service due to these new constraints.
In response to the government’s claims of alternative options, Mr. Gruffydd has expressed frustration, stating that these alternatives do not reflect the reality on the ground. His office reached out to 55 dental practices listed under the “find your local NHS dentist” directory on the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board website. Of these, only three were still accepting new NHS patients, and all of them had significant waiting lists.
The crisis in NHS dental services is expected to worsen unless urgent measures are taken to address the shortage of NHS dentists and the increasing pressures faced by dental practices in the region. Mr. Gruffydd is calling for a comprehensive overhaul of the system to ensure that people in North Wales can access timely and quality dental care.
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