Nearly 250 people have shared their experiences of NHS dental care in Norfolk in a new survey.
These included:
- An admin worker who has been carrying out his own root canal treatment using kits from a chemist.
- A retired man who could not get referral for a damaged painful tooth for months as he had recently moved into the county.
- And a mum who found it impossible to get NHS care for her two children.
These stories and more were gathered over the Spring and Summer.
They are now being analysed by Healthwatch Norfolk ahead of its first dental summit in the autumn.
Alex Stewart, chief executive of the organisation which gathers people’s experiences of health and social care in the county, said: “We would like to thank everyone who took the time take part in our survey.
“Our analysts are currently reading though everyone’s submissions so that we can build up a picture of the issues.
“As well as the resource issues we know about, there also seem to be issues around communication of where people can get help.
“There is no doubt capacity is the overriding issue as people are facing the choice between finding money for private care or facing pain.”
Dental summit
The report will be published when Healthwatch Norfolk holds its first dental summit on Thursday September 19 at 5pm at The Garage in Norwich.
This will be an opportunity for people to share their stories, understand the issues, and hear the experiences that people have.
The data from the report and the feedback will also help Healthwatch Norfolk compile a dental action plan to provide additional data for the county’s health bosses around what is needed.
Senior figures will also be on a panel to answer people’s questions and update the audience on the work being done.
These include representatives from:
- NHS Norfolk and Waveney who will be able to talk about the progress being made on the Dental Recovery Plan and the work being done to ensure people get the care they need.
- The dental perspective and the pressures they are facing.
- Norfolk Public Health who can talk about the work they are doing around prevention and oral health care.
How do I come along?
Free tickets are available for the dental summit so you can come along and find out more, share your story or ask questions.
You can book one now:
Alex Stewart said: “This will be a great chance for us to hear your stories, to understand the challenges faced by dental practices and NHS funding, and to see what the issues are.
“If we can come up with a definitive list of actions, this could help understand the breadth of issues, and give health bosses more detailed feedback and intelligence around where improvements need to happen.”
