Fears raised over future of island dental service
BBCDental care in Uist has been left in a "sorry situation" following the centralisation of the service, a councillor has claimed.
Mustapha Hocine has voiced concern about the future of the service after it emerged that the area would be left without any permanent dentists early next year.
He said islanders had been promised "first class" dental care at a new hub, opened last year at the Uist and Barra Hospital in Benbecula.
NHS Western Isles said recruitment efforts were under way and in the meantime any gaps would be covered by locums.
Uist previously had three separate dental clinics in Lochboisdale, Lochmaddy and Lionacleit and there were four dentists in total.
They were closed down to make way for a new centralised service at the Uist and Barra Hospital in Balivanich which opened in July 2024.
NHS Western Isles argued that the new hub could improve recruitment and retention of staff and reduce running costs.
However, the two permanent dentists working there are due to leave early next year.
The BBC understands that one of the dentists has decided to go elsewhere after a flexible working request was turned down.
Mr Hocine, who represents Uibhist A Tuath, said it was a great disappointment that the two dentists were about to leave and called for a review of the situation.
He said continuity of care would be harmed and added that relying on locums would increase costs for the NHS.
Mr Hocine said the islands had been served well by the old system of having three clinics and it had been "dismantled against public wishes".
"We were promised this first class centralised service based in the Uist and Barra Hospital," he said.
"At the moment you can't even have a normal appointment. You need to be in excruciating pain. It's only emergency appointments."
"We lost a good service to have a really substandard one."
In a statement NHS Western Isles said it could not comment on individual members of staff and their terms and conditions.
However, the health board said that all requests for flexible working follow approved policy and due process and that remained the position in all cases.
A spokesperson added that all efforts were continuing from a recruitment perspective, and they were seeking locum provision in the interim pending successful recruitment.
