Research has revealed that three-quarters of Edinburgh dentists are not accepting new adult NHS patients.
The Edinburgh Evening News collected data from clinics across the capital, it found that “only 23 out of 86 dentists” were able to register new patients.
Of those accepting patients, the practices stated that new “patients faced long waits of six months to two years.”
Only eight dental surgeries informed the news outlet that patients could get an appointment without joining a waiting list.
Ten of the practices stated that they were not accepting new patients and had closed waiting lists.
One practice stated that they were “forced to close their waiting list after it reached 1,000 patients over capacity.”
Miles Briggs, Lothians MSP, commented, “We knew the situation was bad in Edinburgh, but these figures show it’s getting close to impossible to access a dentist on the NHS. Ministers have been warned for years how grim it is. People have reported to us being forced to turn up at A&E because they can’t get appointments. Dentists have been saying for a while they can’t cope. It’s even more worrying that people on waiting lists are unlikely to see an appointment any time soon. The reality is stark. These figures have to be seen as a wake-up call.”
Sarah Boyack MSP said, “Patients across Edinburgh are being routinely let-down by the lack of NHS Dental provision.
“We are now seeing the devastating effects of the SNP mismanagement of our NHS, with patients spending months suffering unnecessarily whilst they are unable to see an NHS Dentists.
“This cannot carry on. The SNP must act now to ensure all Edinburgh residents are able to access vital NHS dentistry services.”
Jenny Long, director of primary care for NHS Lothian, said, "We are acutely aware of the challenges around access to NHS dentistry in Edinburgh, which is also evident across Scotland. Dental practices are independent contractors to the NHS, and the General Dental Services contract is a national contract negotiated by Scottish Government. The Chief Dental Officer is currently undertaking a review of this contract, and this is crucial in improving access to NHS general dentistry. Details of all dental practices across Scotland are listed on the NHS Inform website. In addition, to support patients, the NHS Lothian website includes information about practices in Lothian that may be taking on new patients.”