Dental news not all bad

On Monday 10th February, a Herald report warned that NHS Ayrshire and Arran is one of four health boards being required to close or privatise salaried dental practices in a bid to cut costs. Pat Kilpatrick, director of the British Dental Association (BDA) is worried about what this may mean for vulnerable patients, and whether some practices would be financially viable. As he said, ‘If a practice was viable there would have been an independent practitioner in it already.’

Graham Smith, deputy chairman of the Scottish Salaried Dentist Committee, said centralising specialist services would increase dental health inequalities. He said that a broad spectrum of specialised care is best achieved when it is ‘“embedded” within care for the rest of the community.’

Arran’s dental services are already privatised in effect, since dentists work under contract to the NHS but are not directly employed by the national service. However, they have no defence against reduction in hours and scope. Anyone rash enough to have a dental emergency at the weekend or at any ‘after hours’ time now has to go to the mainland in search of emergency help. Meanwhile, our hospital at Lamlash has new provision of splendid dental facilities, so we have much to be thankful for, even while keeping a wary eye open for any sign of downgrading.