London patients find it difficult to access NHS!
Medical and dental treatment is the right of every patient. But in London the situation for dental care seems to be getting laughable! There are about 900,000 people lesser than those last year now visiting an NHS dentist. As compared to December 2007, 53.7% of the British populace now visits the NHS dentists as compared to 55.8% previously. The 2006 reforms have in fact not improved the situation or improved access to quality dentists.The NHS Information Centre report has also stated that the number of patients who regularly visited a dentist dropped sharply from 38.9% in December 2007, in the South Central Strategic Health Authority area to about 58.3% in the North East health authority area.
Peter Ward, chief executive of the British Dental Association, has stated that the reforms did not help the patients and failed to improve access to dentists for even basic care which is very important. Opposition minister Mike Penning has also stated that it’s a sad fact that about 300,000 people have lost the services of their dentist in three months alone even though £200 million have been invested into existing services to improve health care.
A truly confusing situation!
