North Yorkshire dentist warns profession is at "crisis point"

The Chancellor's being warned not to make any further cuts

Author: Kathy GreenPublished 1st Nov 2022

There's concern about a rise in "DIY dentistry" as people across North Yorkshire tell us it's impossible to get an appointment.

Mark Green is a NHS dentist in Kirbymoorside and says the profession is at crisis point.

He says as well as funding cuts there is a massive problem with recruitment: "It's getting worse all the time. It's always been bad in the ten or fifteen years. The rate of people leaving the NHS has exacerbated and not just the NHS leaving the profession after COVID as well. People had a rethink of their options and decided to do something else."

It's as figures from the Care Quality Commission suggest Selby and Ryedale have some of the lowest numbers of dentists in the Country. In Selby there is only around one dentist per 16,000 population.

Meanwhile, the new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has told the Commons that they are working to simplify the process to allow more dentists from overseas to work here as part of long term plans to make sure everyone gets the care they need.

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