SAM ROWLANDS, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, has called on the Welsh Government to admit there is a problem with access to NHS dentists in his region.
Last month The British Dental Association Cymru Wales sent a letter to the Health Secretary Jeremy Miles, accusing the Welsh Government of peddling “half-truths” about their messaging and statistics.
Speaking in the Senedd, Mr Rowlands, who constantly raises the issue on behalf of concerned residents in North Wales, asked the First Minister, Eluned Morgan if the first step in making changes was to admit there was a problem.
He said: “Far too many people in North Wales are unable to access the NHS dentists and NHS dental treatment that they need.
“First Minister, there seems to be a difference between what you’re saying and the potential spin and positive rhetoric that you’re attempting to share in this Chamber versus the reality of which residents in North Wales are experiencing week in and week out.
“They cannot access the NHS dentist that they need, they’re not able to have the treatment that they’re absolutely desperate to receive, and the BDA, the British Dental Association, seemed to be correct when they stated that the Welsh Government are peddling half-truths.
“What is the truth, First Minister? And is the truth that the first step to making change happen is to admit that there’s a problem there in the first place? And how will you restore your relationship with the British Dental Association so my residents can access the dental treatment that they need?”
The First Minister said she recognised there was a gap which was difficult to bridge in the short term but they could not force dentists to work for the NHS.
Mr Rowlands added: “We know dental services in North Wales are broken and they need to be fixed. Patients are facing unacceptable delays and access to essential care and families who are then accessing private treatment are struggling to afford that treatment.
“Sadly, it’s those who are most vulnerable in our communities who are bearing the brunt of this crisis, and it’s simply not acceptable.”
