MSP raises inequality concerns as some dental services only available privately
Andrew Hirst
Concerns have been raised that some dental services are only available to those prepared to pay privately.
Highlands and Islands MSP Rhoda Grant has written to health secretary Jeane Freeman to raise constituents’ concerns about the availability of treatments such as fillings and root canals.
While the services are not currently available on the NHS due to Covid-19 restrictions, they are available privately.
Scottish government restrictions on NHS dental services do not currently apply to private practices. Ms Grant said she believed the situation will further widen health inequalities.
“This is very concerning to me as not everyone will be able to afford these services if they are only available privately and the sad reality is that we don’t know when these restrictions will be lifted,” she added.
Ms Grant said she understood extra PPE was necessary to keep dentists safe. However, she said it was unfair for treatments to be limited to those who can afford it.
Charles Gallagher
Sadly Rhoda as you very well know or you should have, these inequalities in Dental Care have existed since the launch of the NHS in 1947 where dental sevices were treated as the poor relation and always at the back of the queue when Government investment was required!!! There have been many Labour Governments since 1947 where they have had ample opportunity to rectify this situation but always failed to do so. I believe that you, like me, believe that availability of all health care should never depend on the size of your bank balance or which insurance company you have a policy with??? But we can never achieve this so long as Wastemonster controls the ‘purse strings’!!!!
Ian Tinkler
How very typical, it is Sturgeons SNP/SG rationing treatments. The Private Health sector is just providing a service the SNP is rationing. It has nothing to do do with Covid, just a way to save money!!! Cheap and nasty, how very SNP.