Portsmouth 'backlog' in dentist care as just quarter of under-18s had appointment in 12 months

JUST a quarter of children in Portsmouth have seen an NHS dentist during the pandemic year, figures have revealed.
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Some 26 per cent of under-18s were seen in the 12 months to December last year. This is down from 52 per cent in 2019 and 55 in 2018.

Only about 49 per cent of adults have been seen in 2020, the NHS Digital figures show. Both rates for adults and children are below the national average.

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It comes after a Portsmouth dad felt forced to pull his own teeth after not being able to find a national healthcare dentist who could see him.

Dad-of-three Chris Savage, a labourer on Universal Credit after work dried up in the pandemic, removed two of his own teeth with a mole grip as he couldn't find a dentist who would take him on as an NHS patient and couldn't afford the £200 fee to go private. Pictured: Chris Savage at his home in Milton, Portsmouth on 12 October 2020. Picture: Habibur RahmanDad-of-three Chris Savage, a labourer on Universal Credit after work dried up in the pandemic, removed two of his own teeth with a mole grip as he couldn't find a dentist who would take him on as an NHS patient and couldn't afford the £200 fee to go private. Pictured: Chris Savage at his home in Milton, Portsmouth on 12 October 2020. Picture: Habibur Rahman
Dad-of-three Chris Savage, a labourer on Universal Credit after work dried up in the pandemic, removed two of his own teeth with a mole grip as he couldn't find a dentist who would take him on as an NHS patient and couldn't afford the £200 fee to go private. Pictured: Chris Savage at his home in Milton, Portsmouth on 12 October 2020. Picture: Habibur Rahman

Labourer Chris Savage yanked two front teeth out after drinking eight pints of Stella Artois lager in October last year.

He told The News recently he has still not been able to access an NHS dentist.

Now Stephen Morgan, Portsmouth South MP, has launched a survey asking people about their experiences with practices, including waiting times.

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Labour’s Mr Morgan said: ‘I remain deeply concerned that Portsmouth has been disproportionately affected by the ongoing crisis in NHS dentistry.

Dad-of-three Chris Savage, a labourer on Universal Credit after work dried up in the pandemic, removed two of his own teeth with a mole grip as he couldn't find a dentist who would take him on as an NHS patient and couldn't afford the £200 fee to go private

Pictured: Chris Savage at his home in Milton, Portsmouth on 12 October 2020.

Picture: Habibur RahmanDad-of-three Chris Savage, a labourer on Universal Credit after work dried up in the pandemic, removed two of his own teeth with a mole grip as he couldn't find a dentist who would take him on as an NHS patient and couldn't afford the £200 fee to go private

Pictured: Chris Savage at his home in Milton, Portsmouth on 12 October 2020.

Picture: Habibur Rahman
Dad-of-three Chris Savage, a labourer on Universal Credit after work dried up in the pandemic, removed two of his own teeth with a mole grip as he couldn't find a dentist who would take him on as an NHS patient and couldn't afford the £200 fee to go private Pictured: Chris Savage at his home in Milton, Portsmouth on 12 October 2020. Picture: Habibur Rahman

‘The pandemic created an inevitable backlog of care, but it also exposed the underlying weaknesses of the current system which risk causing generational damage to patient care.

‘This survey is a chance for people to have their say, and I will take their concerns directly to the Health Secretary to lobby for the change we need.’

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NHS England confirmed Smile Dental Care would open a new site in the former GP surgery Hanway Road Medical Practice, in Buckland, after Swiss company Colosseum Dental shut down three practices without warning in July 2019.

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Work has also been done at the Cosham Dental Surgery to create extra capacity.

This provision was due to open last month, Portsmouth councillors were told.

As reported, the Colosseum Dental practices closing caused thousands of patients to go without NHS dentists.

Last month Alison Cross, a senior commissioning manager from NHS England told a meeting, in a letter, that the Covid-19 pandemic had caused a backlog in appointments.

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She said: ‘The closure of services and the subsequent change in infection control etc has left a backlog of patients who require not only ongoing regular dental treatment which had been postponed, but also access to urgent care.

‘NHS England and NHS Improvement are aware that patients are finding it difficult to access dental care because of these additional measures affecting activity levels of dental practices and are working with the profession to re-commence service delivery as quickly but as safely as possible.’

She also revealed the 44 dentists in Portsmouth had been offered extra funding to see more patients.

Ms Cross added: ‘Unfortunately to date no practices in the Portsmouth locality have taken up the offer of the additional funding.’

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The NHS confirmed work has commenced in the north of the city, as well as the conversion of the former GP surgery Hanway Road Medical Practice in Buckland to a dental practice.

Complete the MP’s survey at stephenmorgan.org.uk/dentist

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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