Emergency Appointments for Youngsters Hit by Scarborough Dental Crisis

Tuesday, 30 July 2024 06:00

By Matthew Pells and Anttoni James Numminen, Local Democracy Reporter

Extra emergency dental appointments are being made available for Scarborough youngsters following the decision of the Falsgrave and Alma practice to stop providing NHS treatment.

The emergency treatment will be available through the NHS 111 service.

North Yorkshire Council's executive member for health and adult services, Councillor Michael Harrison - says the ongoing problems with dental provision in the town stem from the way the national NHS dental contract works.

North Yorkshire Council’s health boss has said that NHS dentistry in Scarborough is ‘broken’

Councillor Michael Harrison says thinks the situation isn't going to get an better unless there are big changes to the national NHS dentistry contract.

Councillor Harrison said that the NHS dental contract is :

"viewed as a barrier to delivering better care. It set a fixed unit of dental activity rate back in 2006 and that can dis-incentivise the provision of NHS dentistry.”

Wes Streeting, the new health secretary, has said that the Government will come forward “with a serious plan to reform the dental contract” and was working to deliver 700,000 new appointments “as a matter of urgency”.

Councillor Harrison said that while NYC “does not have a direct role to play in the commissioning or delivery of dentistry” it had several oral public health schemes.

In Scarborough, this included

“14 early years providers participating in the supervised toothbrushing scheme and 42 schools in the healthy schools award scheme”.

He said the regional NHS was operating flexible commissioning, particularly for primary school aged children, as well as offering increased numbers of emergency appointments.

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