Measures in place to reduce NHS dentistry challenges in Moray
Thursday, 31 August 2023
Thursday, 31 August 2023
Moray residents unable to register with a dentist are continuing to access urgent dental care through the NHS Grampian Dental Information and Advice Line (DIAL).
The assurance was welcomed today (31 August) by the Moray Integration Joint Board’s Clinical and Care Governance Committee as members considered a report on the challenges facing NHS dentistry in Moray.
No dental practice offering NHS care is currently accepting new adult patients for NHS registration, leaving an increasing percentage of the Moray population, including new residents, without access to an NHS dentist for routine and preventative care, said Laura Stevenson, Dental Clinical Lead, Moray Public Dental Service (PDS).
"Across the UK, NHS dental access has been adversely affected, due largely to recruitment challenges and consequences of the pandemic. The deferred graduation of dental students in 2021, delays to the Oversees Registration Exam and changing workforce patterns, have all impacted on recruitment,” she advised.
A Scottish Government scheme offering grants and recruitment and retention allowances to new NHS dentists or practices looking to set up in Moray has attracted some interest but no firm applications so far.
Derick Murray, Chair of the committee, said: “Recruitment remains our biggest challenge and there continues to be a shortage of NHS dentists not only in Moray but across the UK. We understand the difficulties being experienced by residents, and we are continuing to work closely with colleagues in NHS Grampian, the Scottish Government, and local dentists, to improve access to NHS dental services.”
The Moray PDS continues to register patients with higher support needs and, to mitigate the current access problems, offers single courses of treatment to unregistered patients with the highest dental need. Delivery of the Childsmile oral health improvement programme has restarted in Moray nurseries and primary schools, and wider community engagement work encouraging people to take preventative action to look after their teeth and reduce the need for dental treatment, is being stepped up. More work is to go in to signposting people to the support available from NHS Grampian DIAL.
Residents without a dentist can contact the service on Health & Social Care Moray 0345 45 65 990 to access urgent care (Monday to Friday between 8.05am and 6pm). Qualified dental nurses can give advice and will arrange an emergency appointment if necessary. NHS 24 on 111 is available for dental emergencies at a weekend or out of hours.
To support unregistered patients to access care, information on dental practices accepting new NHS patients is posted on NHS Grampian public website and regularly reviewed. Visit www.nhsgrampian.org/service-hub/dental-services
The assurance was welcomed today (31 August) by the Moray Integration Joint Board’s Clinical and Care Governance Committee as members considered a report on the challenges facing NHS dentistry in Moray.
No dental practice offering NHS care is currently accepting new adult patients for NHS registration, leaving an increasing percentage of the Moray population, including new residents, without access to an NHS dentist for routine and preventative care, said Laura Stevenson, Dental Clinical Lead, Moray Public Dental Service (PDS).
"Across the UK, NHS dental access has been adversely affected, due largely to recruitment challenges and consequences of the pandemic. The deferred graduation of dental students in 2021, delays to the Oversees Registration Exam and changing workforce patterns, have all impacted on recruitment,” she advised.
A Scottish Government scheme offering grants and recruitment and retention allowances to new NHS dentists or practices looking to set up in Moray has attracted some interest but no firm applications so far.
Derick Murray, Chair of the committee, said: “Recruitment remains our biggest challenge and there continues to be a shortage of NHS dentists not only in Moray but across the UK. We understand the difficulties being experienced by residents, and we are continuing to work closely with colleagues in NHS Grampian, the Scottish Government, and local dentists, to improve access to NHS dental services.”
The Moray PDS continues to register patients with higher support needs and, to mitigate the current access problems, offers single courses of treatment to unregistered patients with the highest dental need. Delivery of the Childsmile oral health improvement programme has restarted in Moray nurseries and primary schools, and wider community engagement work encouraging people to take preventative action to look after their teeth and reduce the need for dental treatment, is being stepped up. More work is to go in to signposting people to the support available from NHS Grampian DIAL.
Residents without a dentist can contact the service on Health & Social Care Moray 0345 45 65 990 to access urgent care (Monday to Friday between 8.05am and 6pm). Qualified dental nurses can give advice and will arrange an emergency appointment if necessary. NHS 24 on 111 is available for dental emergencies at a weekend or out of hours.
To support unregistered patients to access care, information on dental practices accepting new NHS patients is posted on NHS Grampian public website and regularly reviewed. Visit www.nhsgrampian.org/service-hub/dental-services
