The Integrated Care Board for North East and North Cumbria have said that Dental services have struggled to recover from the impact of covid and there are significant challenges with recruitment and retention of dentists in the region.
The number of NHS Dental contracts handed back in the North East and North Cumbria has increased from 3 in all of 2020 to 12 in the first 5 months of 2023 with 20% of the remaining 318 contracts in the North East and North Cumbria performing below 59% means local people are experiencing significant problems accessing NHS dentists.
Since the 1st of April 2023 NHS England delegated responsibility to the North East and North Cumbria for commissioning dental services.
The Integrated Care Board have said it will tackle the challenges in three phases but admits “Improving access to dentistry will not be a quick fix”.
Residents in Penrith and Eden are now being asked for their views and feedback to help shape future services, including planning the next phase of the NHS’s dental recovery plan in the region.
If you live in the Eden district in Westmorland and Furness – or you attend a dentist in the area or have recent experiences with using or trying to access dental services, then you can share your experiences with HealthWatch Westmorland and Furness via its survey.
The survey closes on 31 March 2024 and as a thank you for your time completing the survey Healthwatch are offering £100 of Love-to-Shop vouchers to a lucky prize draw winner.
To join in with this important conversation on local dental care: https://goto.penrith.town/Local-NHS-Dental-Survey
Then select "Add to Home Screen"
