Suffolk NHS dental campaign group vows to keep on going
- Published
A campaign group set up a year ago to reinstate NHS dentistry provision in a town said it would not give up.
Toothless In Suffolk said it was hoping to put "pressure" on a private dentist, due to open in Leiston, to take on NHS patients.
Steve Marsling, from the group, said it had met many times with NHS bosses to make them aware of the "crisis".
The NHS in the East said it remained "optimistic that a solution can be found".
Mr Marsling, from Aldringham, said local people not having access to NHS services was causing "financial deprivation".
"The Toothless campaign team have met with the head of NHS Commissioning several times to press for immediate action and provide access to NHS dentistry, but the results of these discussions have yet to bear any fruit."
He said it "won't be giving up".
Clive Chrichton, 67, a retiree from Leiston, said: "I can't get an NHS dentist and I can't afford to go private."
He said his broken tooth and filling that had fallen out have gone untreated.
All he can do is go on a waiting list and he was hopeful he would be seen soon by an NHS dentist, he added.
Sigi Winters, 44, from Ipswich, said she had spent £3,000 on private dental care for her family, after waiting to see an NHS dentist for two years.
It put an "enormous pressure on us financially", she said.
A spokesman for the NHS in the East of England said: "We can understand the frustration of some communities where NHS dental services have closed whilst new services are being developed, and we remain fully committed to ensuring everyone can access high quality dental care.
"We are working closely with providers to improve access to services, including inviting NHS contract holders to take on additional activity.
"We remain optimistic that a solution can be found."
He added that "urgent and emergency dental care is available for those who need it".
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- Published30 September 2021
- Published8 November 2021