Isle of Man faces significant issues hiring dentists, minister says

The health minister said the island was facing similar recruitment problems to the UK

There are "significant difficulties" in recruiting dentists on the Isle of Man, the health minister has said.

Lawrie Hooper said the island along with other parts of the British Isles was experiencing problems hiring qualified staff.

He said Manx Care recently advertised for a special care dentist with a "full relocation package" but "all applicants failed to meet the minimum criteria".

The health care body was currently looking at other options, he said.

Mr Hooper was asked about the issue during this week's sitting of the House of Keys.

Manx Care has previously called for an overhaul of NHS dental contracts to help tackle growing waiting lists and capacity problems.

Lawrie Hooper said Manx Care was struggling to find qualified applicants

In answer to a Tynwald question for written answer in September, Mr Hooper said the UK was also facing similar problems, "specifically within rural and coastal areas", which had been "exacerbated by Covid-19".

Mr Hooper said a report by the British Dental Journal had found more than 2,500 dentists across England and Wales left their NHS roles in 2021 following the pandemic due to early retirement or change in career direction.

Brexit also had an impact on the number of EU applicants entering the UK, and there had been a decline in numbers on the dental register since 2016, he said.

The health department had worked with the enterprise department to put work permit exemptions in place for dentists, and Manx Care was making "significant" efforts to encourage dentists to take on NHS work, he added.

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