A top Hampshire health boss has said more complex dentistry cases have led to delays reviewing Island patients who suffer from long-standing dental needs.
James Roach, director of primary care at the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, which plans NHS services, told the Hampshire County Council health and care committee that the service deals with patients with long-standing dental care needs.
“It’s a lot more complex, and the average time of reviewing patients has increased due to that complexity being addressed,” he said.
However, despite the increased average time, the service has seen a “positive” rise in the number of residents and children attending NHS dentists in the region, with 4,400 residents accessing a dentist in the last 12 months.
“Over the last 12 months, 4,400 residents have seen a dentist on the Isle of Wight.
"The majority of those have been children under 18, which is positive in terms of extending our services to children and ensuring we have the right focus on their immediate dental needs.
“It is positive to see an increase. However, more access doesn’t mean the practice is clinically manageable for NHS services across our county and the ICB, and we are addressing them.
“We are working within the national plan framework to improve dental access that has been more investment.”
He said that “open” and “pragmatic” conversations between private dental practices and the ICB are allowing them to extend services for residents.
“We’ve got a better relationship with dental providers at the moment.
"What I have seen across the ICB is a more open and pragmatic conversation with some of our private providers in terms of why they need to provide more NHS services, what support they would need to extend that and how we move forward.”
Speaking about the mobile dental service, Mr Roach said that this year, around 700 patients with long-standing dentistry needs were served by the mobile services, which offered 200 treatments for those patients.
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