Homeless in 'agony' due to lack of access to dental services

Francesca Blishen is helping Kevin access dental services

Homeless people are in "agony" because they are unable to access dental services, according to a charity that is fundraising for urgent private care.

Emmaus Bristol said people have been rushed to hospital in a critical condition because their tooth infections have spread to other parts of their bodies.

Among those in need of help is Kevin. He said: "I've been laughed (at) for having no teeth and that's really hard for me."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "We are committed to ending rough sleeping and tackling homelessness across the country, which is why we are spending £2.4bn to do so, and our Dental Recovery Plan will create up to around 2.5 million more appointments this year alone.”

The charity, which supports people to rebuild their life after living on the streets, is hoping to create a £5,000 dental fund through a 1,600-mile walking, running or cycling challenge.

People without an address are unable to register for a dentist and this causes a devastating gap in their care, a charity spokesperson said.

Even those with an address struggle to see a dentist because "the majority of surgeries in Bristol are not accepting new NHS patients or have long waiting lists", the spokesperson added.

A spokesperson for department for health and social care said rough sleepers can register with the area's homeless health care team.

Despite this service, "uncertainty about entitlement" and "stigma and fear of judgement" often stop homeless people from accessing dental care, a charity spokesperson claims.

For Kevin and many others who are unable to get access to NHS treatment, the pain from infected gums and severe tooth decay can be excruciating.

But he said, the search for a dentist is a frustrating one.

"I've lost count over the past few years how many NHS dentists I've tried to sign up with," Kevin said.

"I just can't get in, they keep saying they can't take anyone new on."

In February, hundreds of people queued outside a new dental practice in St Pauls hope to register as NHS patients

Like many charities in Bristol, Emmaus has struggled to enrol formerly homeless residents like Kevin with NHS dentists.

Francesca Blishen, support manager at Emmaus Bristol, said they had called all the dental practices in Bristol on Kevin's behalf - but to no avail.

"We literally have had to send people to A&E because of the terrible infections," she said.

"In one case the infection was so bad it went to their heart. Thankfully they're okay now but they were put on a intravenous drip."

The dental fund will pay for preventative treatments

She said it is also "awful" for staff at the charity to see residents in agony.

"Some of the people living with us have no teeth and no dentures and they can't eat hard food, it has to be soft," she added.

"Kevin is a really good cook but he can only eat soft food like mashed potato.

"We've talked to charities, we've talked to the council and talked to NHS hospitals and no on seems able to help.

"So we've decided to take matters into our own hands, raise money and pay for treatment instead."