MSP ‘Astounded’ by NHS Decision on Fraserburgh Dental Crisis

Local SNP MSP Stewart Stevenson today expressed his serious concerns that constituents may be denied the full potential for NHS treatment at a new dental surgery planned for Fraserburgh.

Fraserburgh businessmen George Jack and Alex Watt have submitted proposals for a state-of-the-art dental surgery in Albert Street, and had sought funding from the Scottish Dental Access Initiative which would allow the practice to concentrate on dealing primarily with NHS patients. Two qualified dentists and a dental technician from Poland are to join the practice, which may now be forced to concentrate on treating private patients in the first instance.

NHS Grampian, despite their enthusiasm during the months that the project has been under discussion and supplying a letter of endorsement which categorically stated that ‘there is a severe shortage of dentists in Grampian’, suddenly reneged on their support for the project at the eleventh hour.

In a shock letter despatched on the day that he left on annual leave, the NHS Grampian Special Projects Manager withdrew his support for the proposal, citing various measures and plans by other dental surgeries in the area which were allegedly planned to resolve the shortfall in the provision of NHS treatment in the area.

Just ten working days from a letter which admitted ‘we currently have over 15,000 on our centralised waiting list’, NHS Grampian alleged that they ‘have less than 260 patients on the overall waiting list from that area.’ Dental practices in the Fraserburgh area, which include that of NHS Grampian’s Dental Practice Advisor, have previously admitted to ongoing recruitment difficulties.

The matter was taken up by Banff & Buchan MSP, Stewart Stevenson, who has been extremely vocal in calling for urgent measures to be taken to address the shortfall in NHS dental provision in Grampian. On challenging the withdrawal of support with Chief Executive, Richard Carey, NHS Grampian changed the reasons given, citing instead that the proposed corporate structure of the practice precluded their support as it did not comply with the conditions of the Scottish Dental Access Initiative.

Speaking at a Press conference in Aberdeen, Stewart Stevenson said:

“At a time when the provision of NHS dentistry is in total chaos, I am astounded to hear of this volte face on the part of NHS Grampian. The excuses set out in their original letter notifying their withdrawal of support simply beggar belief. It would appear that, either NHS Grampian has been totally unaware of the extent of the NHS dental crisis in the recent years in which they have supposedly been dealing with it – or else we are being asked to believe that they have suddenly managed to make provision to resolve the problem in the Fraserburgh area.”

Speaking on behalf of the new practice, Fraserburgh businessman George Jack said:

“We have been in regular contact with NHS Grampian since the inception of this project, and have kept them fully informed of our proposals at all times.

“This project will ultimately result in our investment of over a third of a million pounds. I was therefore extremely dismayed to learn of their withdrawal of NHS Grampian’s support for our application. It had been our intention to concentrate on the provision of NHS treatment in Fraserburgh, but it would appear that this capacity will now be limited in scope by the need to concentrate on the more lucrative area of private treatment.”

Stewart Stevenson added:

“While certain conditions may well need to be applied to the corporate structure of applicants, it must be questioned whether those presently in force are entirely suitable for a modern age - or are conducive to encouraging an effective resolution to the serious dental crisis which this country is currently facing, and I will be raising these issues with the Scottish Minister for Health directly.

“I would be bitterly disappointed if this was to mean that the people of Fraserburgh were to be denied the opportunity to access the additional good quality NHS dental treatment which could be made available in the very near future.”
Categories [Health and Community Care]