Ukrainian from Bristol went home for dentist to be 'seen faster'

An increasing number of dental practices are going private and dentists are leaving the area

A Ukrainian refugee travelled back to their war-torn country for dental work because they could be seen more quickly there, a councillor has claimed.

A meeting of South Gloucestershire Council was told the dental system is in a "death spiral".

Councillor Sandie Davis said: "Ukrainian refugees couldn't find a dentist, so they travelled back to Ukraine to see a dentist."

NHS bosses said there was a "workforce crisis" but were improving things.

The council also heard that the crisis left many to perform work on their own teeth.

A foster daughter who moved to South Gloucestershire could not find a dentist and had to return to Swindon for treatment, while a family of Ukrainian refugees travelled back to their war-torn homeland because they could be seen there quicker, the council meeting heard.

'Big problem'

Kingswood ward councillor Andrea Reid said: "In terms of people performing their own treatment, we are way past that point.

"It's not a future tense we are trying to avoid, it's already happening."

Frenchay and Downend ward councillor James Griffiths added: "It's a national problem and we are in a death spiral with it, and making small alterations isn't going to resolve the big problem."

He said dentists had told him they got paid between £30,000 and £60,000 a year more to treat the same patients privately than on the NHS.

NHS South England head of stakeholder engagement Lou Farbus told councillors the NHS was supporting practices and encouraging them to work together in partnership "before they reach a point of crisis", as well as improving contracts and paying them more for treatment.