No dental practices in Derry signed up to emergency access scheme

The Dental Access Scheme was launched by the Department of Health last August in order to improve access (during the working week) for unregistered patients experiencing an emergency, urgent, or pressing dental condition.

However, whilst 38 practices across the North are signed up to the scheme none are based in Derry.

SDLP MLA Mark H. Durkan asked the Health Minister if he ‘will expand the Dental Access Scheme to include the Foyle constituency, given oral health inequalities and poor access to NHS dental care in the Western Health and Social Care Trust’.

Mr. Nesbitt said: “A key objective of the scheme is to include practices from those areas where access difficulties are most acute, such as the Western area.

"All Northern Ireland dental practices were given the opportunity to apply to join the scheme but unfortunately no practices from Derry came forward.

"There are currently 38 practices participating in the scheme. Details of the scheme (including participating practices) can be viewed at: https://online.hscni.net/dental-access-scheme/

“There are currently 2 practices who are delivering the DAS in the Western area, these are: Catherine Street Dental Care, Limavady; Strabane Family Dental Care, Strabane.

“Early indications are that the scheme is helping to address the dental needs of unregistered patients.”

Last year former Derry dentist Roz McMullan, British Dental Association NI Chair described tooth decay as a ‘disease of deprivation’ highlighting disproportionately higher levels of illness and tooth extraction in the North compared with Britain.