McArthur responds to dental deserts in Orkney and elsewhere

Responding to a BBC investigation which revealed that six Scottish council areas (Argyll & Bute, Dumfries & Galloway, Inverclyde, Orkney, Perth and Kinross and Shetland) have no dental practices able to take on new adult NHS patients within three months, Orkney MSP Liam McArthur said:

“Toothcare should be universally accessible- it cannot just be for those who can afford to go private.

“A concerning number of dentists are no longer offering NHS services because of the low rates they receive for that work.

“There are also clearly issues specific to rural and island areas which are impacting on recruitment and retention. In the past there were incentive schemes to encourage dentists to take up posts in these areas but those incentives are now being spread so thin that any benefits are being undermined.

“The low-margin, high-volume funding system does not work in island and rural settings. Certain treatments are, de facto, loss making unless they are delivered in high numbers, which simply cannot be achieved in places such as Orkney.

“No wonder that the British Dental Association insists that NHS dentistry has been “in crisis for a generation”

“I want to see quality, accessible dentistry in every community across Scotland. Ministers need to rewrite their failed NHS Recovery Plan to include dentistry, prioritise workforce planning and boost the number of dentists taking on NHS patients.”