How Langholm is facing up to losing NHS dental care
- Published
More than 1,200 patients in and around Langholm are facing losing access to NHS dental care
The town of Langholm has been "stunned" at the prospect of losing access to NHS dental care.
More than 1,200 patients have been informed its Gunning Practice is to close in July - when a private service will be offered out of Annan instead.
The loss of a support allowance paid to the practice and recruitment difficulties have been blamed.
It has left residents - as in many other parts of the country - scrambling to find provision elsewhere.
Grace Baxter said she could not afford to go private
Grace Baxter, 90, has used the town's NHS dentist for nearly 30 years and said she had no intention of paying monthly.
"I'm just shocked by the whole thing," she said.
"I was absolutely shocked when I got this letter - I can't afford that money, I just couldn't.
"It is only one inspection a year for just under £10, then you are almost double that if you want two inspections a year, which we got regularly free on the national health.
"My teeth are decaying, I've got a partial denture on the top but I'm not signing up with any private dentist. I'm just seeing what happens."
Helen Brooks, 78, attends the town's day centre and said she could not afford to go private either.
She said she had false teeth but expected she would need to see a dentist for her remaining teeth in due course.
"I just couldn't afford to see one," she said. "I can't afford this extra pay out of money every month.
"You are trying to pay your bills, that's the most important thing just now - to pay your gas and electric and buy food."
Local councillor Denis Male said residents had been "stunned" by the move.
"People have been told they can't sign on at Lockerbie so they don't have an option for NHS anywhere," he said.
NHS dental care is being removed in Langholm this summer due, in part, to recruitment issues
He said even those who went private - or the under 18s guaranteed NHS services - would still face a journey of about 20 miles to Annan.
Mr Male said that would be even more problematic if the trip had to be made by public transport with many services going via Longtown or Carlisle.
"If you've just been getting your teeth done the last thing you want to be doing is sitting on a bus for an hour each way and the time in between," he said.
NHS Dumfries and Galloway's director of public health Valerie White said the problem was widespread.
"The situation regarding access to NHS dental services in Dumfries and Galloway is a significant concern and one the board is taking very seriously," she said.
"We continue work to encourage and support dentists to provide NHS general dental services and are working closely with Scottish government colleagues on these matters.
"However, lack of dentists coming to work in the region is a key issue, and challenges in dental workforce are being seen across the UK."
The Scottish government said anyone struggling to find an NHS dentist should contact their health board which had responsibility to ensure access to NHS dental care.
It said it was working closely with NHS Dumfries and Galloway to give it the support necessary to allow it to offer NHS care to patients.
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- Published2 December 2022
