Access to dentists improving, health chiefs say

Health chiefs say improvements have been made in areas of Staffordshire with the lowest levels of oral health and dental access.

More than 3,000 people have been referred to NHS dentists since a report found patients were struggling to access services in parts of Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent.

The referrals came as part of a scheme launched by the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) in response to the findings.

Laura Bird, the ICB's primary care programme lead, told Stoke-on-Trent City Council's Health Integration and Wellbeing Committee the results were "incredibly positive".

She said dental activity across the county had risen over the last year after the ICB decided to increase the amount practices were paid.

An extra 16,190 urgent dental appointments were being delivered annually and Bird said a communications campaign had been launched to raise awareness among patients, in a bid to increase demand.

Councillor Daniela Santoro told Thursday's meeting she noticed increased NHS dental activity in her ward of Hartshill Park and Stoke.

She said two practices had been actively recruiting NHS patients, adding: "I've not see that for a decade."

Councillor Majid Khan said the improvement was "long overdue", particularly in more deprived areas in Stoke-on-Trent where tooth decay among children was an issue.

"It's welcome that these changes have been made so the community is going to be able to access services," he said.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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