Craven falls short on NHS dentist target (From Craven Herald)

Craven falls short on NHS dentist target

9:10am Friday 30th July 2010

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Just one NHS dentist responded to a Craven District Council investigation into dental services.

A special working party of the council carried out the investigation in an attempt to find out how the service could be improved.

But councillors were told that out of the NHS dentists approached, just one offered to help.

The review discovered that some areas of Craven fell far short of the NHS target of 66 per cent of people having access to a NHS dentist.

The best area for people to have access to an NHS dentist was Ingleton and Clapham, but Skipton performed badly, with just 47 per cent of people in Skipton East having access to a dentist.

Coun David Crawford questioned the need for the review and asked whether it was a necessary part of council work.

But Coun Helen Firth, chairman of the overview and scrutiny committee, which carried out the review, said a council priority was to safeguard the health of its people.

“Dental healthcare is critical,” she said. “We all need to go to the dentist at some points in our lives and the key focus of this review was to see whether Craven residents have decent regular access to a dentist.”

Coun Firth told the recent policy committee meeting that Craven needed more NHS dentists, particularly in the north of the district.

She said the concerns of the committee had been raised with the North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust.

“Of great concern to me as a Hellifield ward councillor is the lack of vacancies in the Settle Dental Practice,” she said.

“Many people from Hellifield and other villages have to make the journey to Grassington which is neither cost or time effective. This is just one small example of the impact that poor dentistry provision can have.”

The review, which looked at how easy it was for Craven people to get a dentist, uncovered problems with securing a dentist and the amount of time spent on a waiting list.

It also discovered emergency services for vulnerable people offered at Skipton Hospital and Settle Health Centre were underused.

The council is due to take its findings to North Yorkshire County Council’s Health Committee in September and to the primary care trust.

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