Clwyd West MS Darren Millar has called on the First Minister to ensure the Welsh Government takes action to address the dentist shortage in Colwyn Bay.
Speaking in the Senedd this afternoon, Darren told Mark Drakeford that around 12,000 people will be without a dentist when the BUPA Dental Care UK practice in Colwyn Bay closes next year, as other NHS dentists in the area are full to capacity and unable to take them on.
Darren, who last month launched an online petition in a bid to ensure people in the area are able to access the dental services they need, criticised the Welsh Government for failing to train enough dentists for Wales and called for urgent Welsh Government action to address the shortage.
He said:
“The issue of dentistry is a very hot topic in the Clwyd West constituency at the moment as a result of an announcement by BUPA Dental Care UK that they're going to be closing their clinic in Colwyn Bay. That's going to affect around 12,000 people in my constituency, and they've been advised by the local health board that they should seek to register with other NHS dentists in the North Wales area. Having contacted those dentists, constituents have been told that they're not taking on extra patients.
“The reality is that you should have been training more dentists over the past decade; you shouldn't be having to rely on dentists coming in from overseas. If we'd have trained sufficient numbers - and you've been responsible for workforce planning in the Welsh NHS for the past 20 years - then we wouldn't be in the pickle that we're currently in with a shortage of dentists across Wales.
“I've asked to meet with your Health Minister and the Chief Dental Officer to discuss the situation in Colwyn Bay, and they've refused to accept my request. So, can you tell me what action is your Government taking to make sure that we've got sufficient numbers of dentists being trained in Wales now to meet the future needs of the Welsh population? And how can you reassure people in Colwyn Bay that they'll have access to NHS dental services as and when they need them in the future?”
Speaking outside the Chamber, Darren added:
“The announcement of the closure of the Bupa Dental practice in Colwyn Bay has left patients extremely worried about how they will access dental services in the future and it is a disgrace that in his response the First Minister made no effort to allay those fears by reassuring my constituents that he will be addressing the problem.”
People can access Darren’s petition by click on this link: https://www.darrenmillar.wales/save-our-dental-services-colwyn-bay