Despite the NHS announcing plans to increase dental appointments, groups working to improve dental services have warned that Suffolk is still in the grip of a “major crisis”.
On Thursday, members of the Toothless in Suffolk and England campaign protested outside Endeavour House in Ipswich, home to the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB). Protesters called for practical action to address the ongoing shortage of dentists.
Mark Jones, co-founder of the group and from Felixstowe, pointed out that some areas still lack access to basic dental services, forcing some residents to deal with dental problems on their own.
He criticized the ICB for not fulfilling its responsibilities to patients: “We provided advice and proposed alternatives, but they never listened seriously.”
Although ICB CEO Dr. Ed Garratt announced that five areas with dental service shortages in Suffolk and northern Essex have been identified, and 250,000 new appointments are planned next year, Jones still said that the campaign is “far from over” and the goal is to “make NHS dental services accessible to everyone.”
Lynn Maslin, 77, also participated in the protest. She stressed: “We have waited too long. Words cannot replace actions. We need to see changes now.”
Dr. Garratt responded that the five main service shortage areas are:
Bury St. Edmunds
Brandon
Aye and North West Suffolk
Saxmundham/Leston and Northeast Suffolk
Tendering, Essex
He added that if the new plan is successfully implemented, ICB will invest 7.6 million pounds a year, and the total investment in ten years will reach 76 million pounds.
However, he also admitted that he faced challenges: “We are trying to create a balance between areas with relatively adequate services and those with insufficient services, and promote fairness between regions.”
Gallat emphasized that ICB maintains a cooperative relationship with the Toothless organization and affirmed its role in promoting it. He also pointed out that with the establishment of the Suffolk University Dental CIC in Ipswich, local emergency dental services are “sufficient” and residents no longer need to “do it themselves.”